Ahead of the 2023 general election, coalition of stakeholders from the North Central Region under the auspices of North Central Renaissance Movement (NCRM) is clamoring for the seat of the presidency.
The group said they are fed up of constantly securing the seat of party chairmanship from the two major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) stressing that nothing short of the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is good enough for the zone in 2023.
At a world press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, they said the North Central zone (Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara and FCT) have highly been marginalised and has never produced a civilian President or Vice President since the country gained its independence.
According to them, 2023 will mark 63 years of political exclusion of the region especially for the two highest offices in the country despite housing the capital city.
In his remarks, Chairman of the North Central Renaissance Movement, Dr. Nghargbu K’tso said although the south east zones have not also occupied the offices of the President and the Vice President, the case of the North central is worse.
He however demand that equity, fairness, justice and political inclusiveness be demonstrated by the major political parties to zone their presidential tickets to the North Central Region.
“An enumeration of Nigeria Presidents and Vice presidents since 1999 show that only the North Central and the South East geopolitical zones have not occupied the offices of the President and Vice President in the 22 years of its 4th Republic.
“The case of the North Central is however worse than that of the South East in that the latter has the consolation of having produced Dr. Alex Ekwueme from 1979 to 1983 via democratic elections and again in 1983 when he won re-election for a second term in office as vice president to Alhaji Shehu Shagari before their removal by the Military.
“We in the North Central have always stood shoulder to shoulder with our kindred in the North West and North East in all elections as staunchly as differences in political parties will allow, supporting their Presidential candidates as ours.
“The North Central Renaissance Movement (NCRM) demand in the interest of fairness, equity and justice that the office of the president of Nigeria be ceded to the North Central” he added.
