A founding leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Chris Ngige, says the founding fathers would in 2021 address whether or not the party would zone its 2023 presidential ticket.
Ngige, who is the Minister of Labour and Employment, stated that nine of the founding fathers that are still left in the party would also address whether or not there was a zoning arrangement in place.
This came as some APC leaders continue to maintain that the founding fathers had a “gentleman’s agreement” for power to shift to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023.
Lagos State Chairman of the party, Alhaji Tunde Balogun said last week that the party’s founding fathers reached the agreement in 2014.
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“In 2014, the founding fathers of APC had a gentleman’s agreement and they committed themselves to the agreement. The party was victorious because they honoured the agreement they made and everyone worked together for the party in 2015 and 2019.
“According to the 2014 agreement, the South-West should be the zone to produce the presidential candidate in 2023. Among them (those present) were President Buhari and Asiwaju Tinubu,” Balogun said.
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Reacting to the controversy, Ngige said, “Nine of us are still in the APC. I can’t speak on the issue now. Most of us agreed that we are going to speak next year – from (Bola) Tinubu to Chief (Bisi) Akande, Chief Olusegun Osoba, myself; Tom Ikimi, Yusuf Ali; Ogbonnaya Onu; Danjuma Goje and Senator Wamakko.”
“We will speak next year after we would have done the APC caucus meeting on it. Caucus will agree that we speak on it publicly.”
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