A coalition of civil society organisations, under the aegis of Conference of Nigeria Civil Rights Activists, has urged the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, to obey the calls for his resignation in the interest of equity, fairness and justice.
The CNCRA said Adamu’s exit as APC National Chairman would ensure power balancing in the incoming Bola Tinubu ‘s APC-led government.
The group made the call in a statement by its Convener, Ifeanyi Odili, and Secretary, Sina Akadiri, in Abuja on Sunday.
The coalition said Adamu’s resignation would also be a great opportunity for the APC to assuage the feelings of Christians towards the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party in the presidential election.
The CNCRA said, “Adamu should toe the path of honour and statesmanship by tendering his letter of resignation after the governorship and House Assembly elections.
“His action would be welcomed and commended by the Christians and it will also pave the way for the emergence of a ranking senator from North Central, to become either the President or Deputy President of the Senate in the forthcoming 10th National Assembly.”
The APC National Vice-President, Salihu Lukman, had earlier in a statement titled “APC Internal Dynamics and the Future of Democracy,” called for Adamu’s resignation and replacement with a Christian leader.
The CNCRA said it was elated to hear about Lukman’s ‘patriotic call’ and, thus, urged the former governor of Nasarawa State to sacrifice his position in the interest of peace, unity and harmony.
The CNCRA said it acknowledged the immense contributions of Adamu and the North Central geopolitical zone towards the party’s success in the presidential and National Assembly elections.
It noted that the ruling APC should compensate the region by making sure that a dependable, loyal and ranking senator emerges as either the President or Deputy Senate President in the 10th National Assembly.
Part of the statement read, “With the emergence of the President-elect and his vice from the South-West and North-East geopolitical zones of Nigeria, it will be fair and just, for the APC to zone the National Assembly’s presiding officers’ positions to the North Central, North-West, South-East and the South-South geopolitical zones.
“In terms of marginalisation, the popular opinion in Nigeria is that the South-East and the North Central have not produced either the nation’s President or Vice President since the return of democracy in 1999.
“It is now clear that the race for the position of the Senate Presidency should be between the North Central and the South-East which have never produced either the President or Vice President.
“We, therefore, urge the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Adamu Abdullahi, to step aside as a man of honour, and lead the campaign for the emergence of a presiding officer of the Senate from the North Central.”
