Youth from the North East Stakeholders Forum of the All Progressives Congress have spoken out against Tinubu Support Organisation’s open support of Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai as the best vice presidential candidate.
According to the TSO, El-Rufai is the best candidate among those being considered as running mate for APC presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Director-General of Tinubu Support Organization Aminu Suleiman told journalists in Kaduna on Monday that the decision was made after a meeting with key party members in the North-West geopolitical zone of the country.
Suleiman said again that the APC has many great people who could be Tinubu’s running mate, but that the North-West, which has the most votes in Nigeria, should be allowed to choose the next Vice President.
In response to this news, Haruna Sardauna, Chairman of the APC North-East Youth Stakeholders Forum, told Nigerians on Monday night to reject Rufai’s el-imposition on the country.
Sardauna also urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd. ), the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and the party’s standard bearer not to divert attention away from the North-East region in the name of justice and equity.
“Given the region’s sacrifices for the party in the 2015 and 2019 general elections, the North East should be given the slot.” On behalf of our region, the North-East APC Youth Stakeholders Forum has asked the party and President Muhammadu Buhari to unconditionally zone the VP slot to our region. President Muhammadu Buhari’s election as Nigeria’s president in 2015 and 2019 received more than 70% of the votes cast in both elections. It is, in our opinion, past time for the North-East to be recognised not only for their role in deposing a sitting President, but also for their support for Buhari and the APC’s progressive principles.
“It is not wrong to say that this is our time, and it is morally wrong to deny this opportunity to our region.” Choosing a vice president from another region would be political suicide, given how many votes came from that region and how Atiku became the PDP candidate.
“We make this suggestion because a native of the region must serve as Vice President if we want our bloc of votes to count.”
“It is our hope that our dear President Muhammadu Buhari and our great party’s National Working Committee will take these concerns seriously and do what is necessary for the progress and success of our party and country,” he said.
