Yesterday, members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the North Central stormed Abuja to protest the Muslim-Muslim ticket chosen by the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The selection of Governor Simon Lalong as Director General, or DG, of the Bola Tinubu Campaign Council was also rejected by the APC’s over 1,000 supporters from the six North-central states.

Under the leadership of the North-Central APC Stakeholders, the irate APC supporters marched to the presidential villa to deliver a letter of protest while chanting songs of unity. The majority of the demonstrators, APC women and youths from the six North-Central states and the FCT, said that recent leadership moves of the party had humiliated them because they did not show racial and religious inclusivity.

Speaking to journalists, the group’s head, Dauda Yakubu, among others, expressed concern that the many indicators at play with our great party do not signal that the Christians from Northern Nigeria are taken into account in the party’s overall strategy.

“As concerned party members in North Central, we are embarrassed by the party’s leadership’s actions, which do not show racial and religious inclusivity.

Therefore, we consider Governor Simon Lalong’s selection as Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council to be an insult to our collective sensitivities as ardent party supporters in North Central.

In a letter of protest addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, the group claims, in part, that “in the annals of history.

In a letter of protest to the president, the group writes, “You may wish to note that in the party’s history, the North Central zone has shown an unwavering dedication to the expansion and development of the party. The North Central has received what, though?

We have constantly argued that Governor Simon Lalong should run as the party’s vice presidential candidate since he meets all of the requisite qualifications. To our surprise, he was nonetheless made the DG of the presidential campaign council. Regarding the party’s stance on Northern Christians, there are a lot of unanswered issues in our minds.”

“We humbly ask: If a Northern Christian is qualified to head the Presidential Campaign Council, why isn’t a Northern Christian qualified to be selected as our party’s vice presidential candidate?
As party members in the country’s North Central region, we firmly believe that the lines are not connecting for us. As a result, we demand justifications for why our interests were abandoned using a standard that defies logic.

We are adamant that something fundamentally is wrong, and we are beyond any shadow of a doubt that you cannot approve of such a move by his ancestor as a promoter of peace and unity.

We sincerely hope that you will act in a fatherly manner, Mr. President, to see to it that a Northern Christian is taken into consideration for the position of our great party’s vice presidential candidate and that the North Central region is given due consideration given the current situation and the strategic significance of the region to national affairs.”

In order to take Northern Christians’ preferences and interests into account when putting together the party’s presidential team for the 2023 elections, the party leadership should call an urgent meeting.