2023: El-Rufai’s successor must be educated like him – Kaduna APC stakeholders
Concerned stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress, Zone One in Kaduna State, on Monday, said that the next governor of the state, come 2023, must be highly educated like incumbent governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Apart from being educated, the stakeholders insisted that it was their turn to produce the next governor of the state in 2023.
So far, three aspirants had expressed their intent to vie for the coveted seat on the platform of the APC. They included, the State Commissioner of Budget and Planning Commission, Mohammed Sani-Dattijo, Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Uba Sani, as well as Dr Mohammed Duruguwa.
While Sani-Dattijo was from zone one, Senator Sani was from zone two and Duruguwa from zone three.
But while addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists’ Secretariat, Kaduna on Monday, the leader of the group, Usman Ahmed Danbaba noted that the zone was even marginalised at the National Assembly where it had little or no representation.
Danbaba said, “We believe that our views and stands on the forthcoming party primary election of our great party should be listened to and respected. In particular, as it affects the choice of a predecessor to our leader, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.
“After lengthy deliberations and consultations, on behalf of our people, we make bold to demand for the choice of a successor to our leader, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai
“It isn’t by chance that the state is divided into different senatorial zones, but for political parties and politicians to be fair and strategic
“For instance, the Senator, the 6 members of the House of Representatives, 11 out of the 12 State Assembly members, 7 out of the 8 council Chairpersons from the Zone are all from the APC, however, none of the Governor, Deputy Governor, the two Ministers, Party Chairman, Party Secretary, Women Leader, Youth Leader or the State representative at the national APC are from the Zone. Yet, the performance of the party especially in Zone 2 has been declining.
“The unprecedented infrastructural and systematic reforms the State had witnessed recently must be sustained. We, therefore, need a candidate that is competent, team player and indeed familiar with policies and development agenda of the current administration of Malam Nasir El-Rufai.”
He added, “Competence, Character and Acceptability as Malam had demonstrated in the last 7 years, the next Governor of the State must be bold, well educated and charismatic enough to discuss matters related to the development of the State and articulate them, we need that to be sustained, we wouldn’t appreciate anything below that.
“We believe that our views are in line with the aspirations of our leader, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai and his team, as such we are in the same page.
“It is known to everyone that our zone is the strongest for the APC in the State, our consistent performance are undoubtedly outstanding in all previous elections of 2015 and 2019 and the recent local government elections.
“Some of us here were State and Zonal party executives, returning agents of the party, former government officials and contestants, but most importantly, we are genuinely concerned about the future of the party and consolidating on the gains made by the administration of Mallam Nasir Ahmed Elrufa’i and the future of our great party, the APC.”
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