Why APC zoned 2023 governorship ticket to Niger South, Official reveals

The Niger chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), has zoned its 2023 governorship ticket to Niger South, an official has said.

Alhaji Mohammed Kolo, Special Adviser on Politics and Strategy to Gov. Abubakar Bello, said this when he spoke with newsmen in Minna on Tuesday.

Kolo said that the deputy governorship ticket was also zoned to Niger East.

He faulted claims that Bello had annointed a candidate to succeed him after leaving office In 2023.

“On the zoning arrangement, the caucus of the ruling APC on July 3, unanimously agreed to allow zone “A” (Niger South), to produce the next gubernatorial candidate of our party,” he said.

The Special Adviser said that to achieve the objective of the zoning arrangement, all party positions in the state executives would be reshuffled during the state’s party congress.

“All the party positions currently held by Niger East will go to Niger North and those occupied by Niger North will be reversed to Niger South,” he said.

Kolo also said that the state administration had mapped out strategies towards ensuring a smooth and robust transition programme.

“This will afford all the members of the party a level playing field as the countdown to 2023 begins.

“This administration wants to ensure that everybody is given a level playing field without victimising any party faithful.

“We want to give power back to the people, let them decide who they want to preside over their affairs, that is what we have decided to do as true democrats,” he said.

Kolo said that having studied previous haphazard transitions in the state, the current leadership was mindful of the landmines associated with the imposition of candidates and would follow through its transition programme.

“We carefully studied why two past transitions in the state failed because there was imposition of candidates.

“We are committed to a smooth and robust transition plan, God willing, we will carry it to the later

”Already, we are engaging in confidence-building mechanism with equity, fairness and justice as our watchword,” Kolo said.

He said that the current administration was determined to ensure that aspirants for all positions, not just that of the governor, were given level playing ground to ensure that APC remains firmly on ground in the state.

“We carefully studied two past transitions between 1999-2007 and 2007-2015 and discovered that the incumbents ( Governors), failed because of imposition of candidates and we have vowed to avoid it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had also zoned its governorship ticket to the same Niger South.