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Chairman, North Central Peoples Forum, Chief Gabriel Aduku
By our reporter
The Presidential Candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the 2023 general elections, Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani has been adopted as the preferred candidate of the north-central geo-political zone.
The chairman of the North Central Peoples Forum (NCPF), Chief Gabriel Aduku announced this on Monday in Abuja in a meeting between officials of the forum and the national leadership of the ADP led by the Presidential candidate and his running mate, Dr Okey Okoro Udo.
Chief Aduku explained that the adoption of Y. Y. Sani was based on the consideration of his track record as a democratic colossus who has been prominent in the struggle for the restoration of representative governance in Nigeria way back in the Third Republic.
He described the ADP Presidential Candidate as a great patriot with a broad based vision for the progress and development of the entire country without the encumbrances of regional, ethnic or religious biases.
The NCPF leader pointed out that the north-central region more than any other zone in the country deserves to be given a chance to ascend the leadership of the country in view of the incontrovertible historical fact that it is the only region that has produced neither a democratically elected president nor vice president from the First Republic to the Forth Republic.
“North-central is geographically, politically and economically the bond that keeps Nigeria together and many sons and daughters of the area have contributed immensely to the advancement of the country in different sectors,” Aduku stressed.
He added that the north-central deserves to be supported by the rest of the country through the democratic process to the apex political leadership by massively voting an outstanding personality like Engr. Y. Y. Sani as president of Nigeria.
In his remarks, the ADP flagbearer urged for unity of the region to emulate other regions of the country in spite of its socio-cultural divergences which he noted are not peculiar to the region but have sadly worked against the forging of a formidable platform for bargaining at the national centre stage.
He said, “The economy of Nigeria is public sector driven and group that does not have the needed political clout will be left out in the scheme.
Engr. Sani said beside the sacrifices the north-central has made to keep the nation united, the region is also ahead of the other zones in terms of the huge material resources such as oil and gas reserves, solid minerals, vast arable lands, rivers that have been harnessed for hydro-electric power generation, irrigation and and navigation.
He maintained that he is in the race for the presidency of this country because he believes he possesses the requisite qualifications of education, experience, reach and widespread knowledge of all parts of the country pointing out that Nigeria is at a political crossroads which demands the 2023 elections must throw up visionary, competent and patriotic representatives.
“I believe that many will identify me like the lone voice in the wilderness in view of the fact that I’ve remained the most and consistent advocate of probity and accountability in governance,” he stressed.
Present at the meeting were officials of the NCPF: Prof Lucy Jumeyi Ogbadu, Abdullahi Ohiomah, Galadima Tatari Gbako among others.
Those who accompanied the ADP Presidential Candidate to the meeting included: his running mate Dr Okey Udo, the National Organising Secretary of ADP Dr Alexus Maiyanga, the ADP Deputy National Publicity Secretary and ADP gubernatorial candidate in Cross River Mrs Maricana Stanley Ibiang, the Acting National Welfare Secretary Mr James Ogbodo and others.
