The Progressive Disability Forum, the disability wing of the All Progressive Congress has warned the party against using the disability condition of a former governor of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al-Makura, as a basis to disqualify him from the race for the chairmanship of the party.
The National Coordinator of PDF, Abdulaziz Onibare, raised the concern in a letter addressed to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and obtained by journalists in Abuja on Sunday.
According to him, the party would be in contravention of the National Disability Act and its constitution should such move succeed.
The letter reads, “It has come to our notice that some group of people are moving around castigating the person of His Excellency, Senator Umaru Tanko Almakura, questioning his capacity on the basis of his disability. They didn’t question his capacity when he was contributing his millions, time and energy for the progress of the party.”
Onibare added that Al-Makura’s disability should not be a yardstick to measure his competence to lead the party as he has given his dues to the APC and represented the disability community well.
He said as such, the former governor should be given the opportunity to lead APC to a resounding victory as the 2023 elections beckon.
Onibare, who pleaded that its member’s contribution to the party should not be allowed to go in vain, lamented that the leadership of APC had continued to marginalise the PDF as it has never held any tangible position.
“We should be given the opportunity to lead this party, and our disability cannot be counted as a barrier. Hence, we felt it a point of duty to emphasise it,” he said.
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