2023: Group makes case for North Central presidency

A political interest group, North Central Progressive Group (NCGP), has advocated for a Nigeria president of North Central extraction in 2023 maintaining that the region is yet to produce president nor vice president in the current democratic dispensation.

The group while addressing the media in Abuja Tuesday cautioned those who would be sixty years and above by 2023 to steer clear of the Presidential contest in the region.

Comrade, Benjamin Sanni, Hon. Felix Tolorunju and Aisha Uju Okoye addressed Journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Abuja emphasizing the region has what it takes to govern Nigeria among her youth population.

They said that while the region is still asking all political parties and zones to cede the 2023 presidency to the North Central any aspirants older than 60 at the time of the quest should forget about the Presidency in the region.

Spokesman for the group, Benjamin Sani said the legitimate quest was anchored on the need for the region to have a sense of belonging than been marginalized from the presidency.

To buttress his point, a youth from the region,  who flanked the spokesman at the press briefing in Utako, Abuja said the region  was prepared, and this can be seen from the performance of the immediate past  President of the Senate Bukola Saraki.

He noted that it was the highest office ever occupied in a democracy by the North Central zone hence their quest for the Presidency for the region.

He further argued that, the former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, are some of the brilliant minds that have come from the region.

However in pegging the age for the presidency, he stated that any aspirant for the office of the President above 60 come 2023 should forget about contesting from the region because youth from the region abound in intellect to lead Nigeria to greater heights.

His words: “When you talk about readiness, we in the North Central have intelligent people; we have been twice Senate President from the North-Central. We have delivered remarkable result.

“We are ready, the former governor of Niger state, Babangida Aliyu is there, we have the likes of Gov. Yahaya Bello in Kogi State, So is Abubakar Saraki from Kwara.

“We have credible people who can deliver Nigeria from chaos, whatever it is how it is. We are agitating for the Presidency to be zoned to North Central, because our region is being marginalized.

“North Central will take Nigeria to where the country has been praying to get to, no matter the age bracket; we are agitating that from sixty downward will deliver Nigeria.

“People who held power started at their tender age. So anything above sixty, forget about the Presidency that is all I can tell Nigerians.

“Former governor of Niger, Babangida Aliyu state will turn 66 by 2023 while the former President of the Senate, Abubakar Saraki will be 61 by the next round of presidential election” he noted..