National Chairman of North Central Consultative Assembly; Amb. Al’Mustapha Obaje has decried the ill-treatment given to the North Central Zone by the Federal Government in socio-political calculations of the country.
Obaje, who stated this during a visit by the contact team of North Central States led by Alhaji Bello Kassim and Tersoo Gbaor in Abuja on Tuesday, said the region deserves to get fair bargain in the political arrangement of the nation.
He explained that currently, the zone has been abandoned again following the recent appointments of Service Chiefs made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The North Central Zone had been sociopolitically marginalized and unfairly treated in terms of infrastructural development. I feel we have not been fairly treated. Politically, we have been abandoned, we are neither here nor there in the core north or core south political calculations. We are hardly noticed even though the zone has always delivered bloc votes for the APC during elections.
According to him, it is for this reason that the party’s leadership in the region decided to indicate interest and support aspirants from the region to vie for Principal offices at the National Assembly including the Deputy Senate Presidency and deputy Speakership positions but were still skimmed out unjustly and denied a position at the just concluded National Assembly’s leadership election.
Obaje assured that the North Central Consultative Assembly is ready to project credible sons and daughters from the North Central Geopolitical zone with the requisite credentials and pedigree to work with President Tinubu for the unity and development of our Nation and importantly to retain power beyond 2023.
However, he expressed his Knowledge of son North Central sons and daughters’ commitment to ensuring the smooth transition of power at the center by providing the needed intelligence and services to subdue the plans of interim Government elements and funders.
Earlier, the leader of the North Central Consultative Assembly Contact Team, Alhaji Bello Kassim explained that they were in the the Nation’s Capital to seek support of all well meaning North Central leaders and President Tinubu for North Central to get the Position of Minister of Defence.
He stated “we have sons with the qualities, credentials and requisite experience to fill the void of the Minister of Defence.
We urge President Bola Tinubu to please for the sake of unity and devotion to nation’s building to consider North Central Zone for the position of Minister of Defence. Adebayo has served in different capacities within the military formations. We have retired Generals that possess the pedigree to consolidate the Nation’s Security and Defence gains and achievements if appointed Minister of Defence.”
Alhaji Bello, however stated that for that to be actualized, the leadership of the party in the region have roles to play in ensuring that the position of the Defence Minister is zoned to the North Central in order to give a balance in the Nation’s security architecture for efficient service delivery and national cohesion.
