The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva has gotten the support of a northern group.
The umbrella of Coalition of Arewa Forum For Good Governance endorsed Sylva as the only credible candidate to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari come 2023.
The group also reiterated its position on the allocation of power to the South after Buhari’s eight-year reign.
According to the group, all Northern aspirants, in the interest of fairness, should drop their political ambitions.
“Nigeria is in dire need of a stabilising factor; a true democrat and a visionary leader who has the requisite capacity and experience to consolidate on the achievements of President Buhari, a Northerner,” the group said.
The Minister joined the presidential race under the All Progressives Congress after his friends from the Northern part of the country, led by Sulaiman Abdullahi, procured the expression of interest and nomination forms for him.
The group in a press statement signed by the CAFGG Coordinator, Garba Yunusa, said the former Governor of Bayelsa State had convincingly demonstrated ability to perform and deliver dividends of democracy during his days as Governor and has continued to do so as a Minister.
While urging all APC members to put the future of Nigeria ahead of personal interest during the forthcoming party’s primaries, the group in the statement explained why it preferred Sylva to other APC aspirants.
It said, “We are supporting Sylva as a group from Northern Nigeria, because when he was a governor he was focused; kind and provided the needed security for our brothers in Bayelsa.”
