Barely a week to the conduct of All Progressives Congress National Convention, two-term Borno State Governor and former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff formally declined from the Chairmanship race on Sunday.
Speaking with journalists in his campaign office, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff said his action was in deference to the party leadership and President Muhammadu Buhari.
The APC zoning committee led by Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdul Razak in its recommendations, zoned the office of national chairman to the North Central region.
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is from Borno State in the North East.
While announcing his withdrawal from the race, the former Borno State Governor said he would only review his position if the APC Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee throw opens the race to all Northern states. He maintained that the zoning to the North Central has technically foreclosed him from the race.
He said: I am sure most of you are following the trends of activities of our party within the last 10 days or so. The party has taken a position that the position of the national chairman should go to the north-central. Meaning, it is exclusively zoned to the contestants of the North Central Zone.
“Being someone who respects the rule of law and respects our leaders,the President is the leader of the party.
And the President has taken a position. I’ve always told you that I will contest if it is zoned to my zone. That has been my statement always. And today they have taken a position. I respect the president. “I respect him as a person and as a president he is my leader. He must have a reason for allowing the party to zone the chairmanship to north central. “Myself, I’ve led a party. I am a founding father of this party. I was the chairman of the Board of Trustees of this party. Meaning every decision Party makes in all the time I’ve been chairman of a party, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of another. I know the procedure and the process.
“I don’t want to draw a line. I respect the President; unless the party come out between now and Friday to say that, no we have changed our mind, it is now open in that respect and they are obliged to allow everybody to pick a form. Therefore, I don’t want to oppose the president in any way or form. I respect him. I will abide by the decision of the party that exclusively zoned to North Central.”
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff also urged the party faithful to submit themselves to the Unity List that would be ratified at the Convention.
“Normally, zoning revolves around a person, you don’t zone in a vacuum. And they must have a reason why it was zoned. And in party congresses and conventions there is what is called a Unity List. On the last day of the convention, when the leaders make up their minds, they’ll bring out one list.
And in that respect, the list will be followed by the participants because parties are made up of men and women who are also coming from the zones and states. Therefore, because of my respect for the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, and the party, I will not contest unless they’ve changed their mind between now and Friday.
Otherwise, I will not offer myself for election when it has been clearly zoned out of my zone.”
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