“APC Will Lose 2023 Election If It Fails To Give Presidential Ticket To South-West” – APC Vice Chairman

The pioneer National Vice Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Umar Duhu that warned that the party risks quitting the political stage after just two terms, if it fails to cede power to the South-West in 2023.

According to SaharaReporters, Umar Duhu, the National Vice Chairman of APC (North-East), dropped the warning while reacting to comments made by Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), who said:

“There’s no law that mandates the ceding of power to the South-West”.

Duhu issued a stern warning that any attempt to retain power in the north beyond 2023 would be resisted by all democratic forces in the country. He said:

“I’m not a prophet of doom, but I can confidently say that given my over three decades experience, I’m afraid if the APC decides to retain power, not only the party but northerners would lose woefully.”

Tracing the history of a rotational presidency to late President Umar Yar’Adua, he highlighted that former President Goodluck Jonathan was ousted because he reneged on earlier zoning ceding power to the North.

“In 2010 when President Yar’Adua of blessed memory passed on, the indication that power should remain in the North was on the front burner.

“But the North was persuaded to allow the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to be, on condition that power would return to the north in 2015.

“That political diplomacy was a prelude to APC’s victory. It was not as if we were more popular or more strategic than the PDP; the overriding sentiment was that power must shift to the north for eight years.”

He described as unfortunate, Babachir’s attempt to chart a wrong course for the party, saying: “It beats my imagination that B. D. Lawal is making such postulations because here is a man standing a trial bothering on credibility.”