Modu-Sheriff withdraws from APC Chairmanship race

The race for the National Chairmanship of the ruling All Progressives Congress continues to throw up more twists as a foremost frontrunner, Modu-Sheriff has dropped out.

Sen. Ali Modu-Sheriff, former two-term governor of Borno and a frontline aspirant in the contest for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairmanship seat, on Sunday, in Abuja, announced his withdrawal from the race.

Speaking at a news conference, the lawmaker said he withdrew from the race to respect the party and President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to zone the position to the North Central.

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“I Ali Modu-Sheriff, will not offer myself for the contest of the APC national chairmanship position slated for Saturday, March 26, because it has been zoned out of my zone.

“I am from the North-East. North Central where the position had been zoned to is made of Kogi, Kwara, Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau, these are the places where the party’s next national chairman will come from.

“Borno is North-East of Nigeria. I want you to communicate to all our followers, men and women across the country so that they do not expect to see my name on the ballot paper.

“But if the party changes its mind between today and Friday and says everybody can contest, within 12 hours one can fill a form.

“But as long as the position is zoned to the North Central. I’m not going to be a party to that,” Modu-Sheriff stressed.

According to him, this stance was due to his respect and adherence to the dictates of the party which already zoned the position to the North-Central.

“I am sure that most of you have been following the trends of activities of our party, the APC within the last 10 days or so.

“The party has taken a position that the position of its national chairman should go to the North Central, meaning it is exclusively zoned to contestants of the zone.

“The President is the leader of the party and he has taken a position. I have always told you that I will contest if the position is zoned to my zone.

“That has been my statement always, and today they have taken a position. I respect the president as a person and as a president, he is my leader, therefore, I do not want to oppose him in any way or form,” Modu-Sheriff said.

The APC National Convention had been slated for March 26, to elect new national executives to manage the party’s affairs.

Some of the aspirants for the position include Malam Saliu Mustapha, a former Deputy National Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressives Congress (CPC), and George Akume, Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs.
Others are; Sen. Sani Musa, Tanko Al Makura, and a former Governor of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari.