APC chieftain seeks equal, fair representation in NCDC board, management

By Mohammed Baba Busu

A Niger APC Chieftain, Dr Mohammed Santuraki, has called for equal and fair representation at the long-awaited constitution of the Board and Executive Management of the North-Central Development Commission (NCDC).

Dr Mohammed Kudu  the Sonturaki Nupe made the call in a statement he signed on Sunday in Minna

Santuraki called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and redress this glaring imbalance.

According to him, Niger State has earned its place through loyalty, sacrifice, and contribution. We seek not favour, but fairness.

The APC Chieftain, who is the Santurakin Nupe asserted that the call became imperative since the constitution of the commission’s board has been completed.

He argued that for the fact that Niger State has been allocated one Non-Executive Director and one Executive Director position, “we believe firmly and respectfully, that this falls far short of what the state justly deserves.”

The APC Stakeholder said that state’s
concern was rooted in two key realities: The political and electoral support Niger State gave to this administration, and the fact that Niger State agitated for the location of the Headquarters of the Commission and later conceded this to Nasarawa State.

According to him, during the 2023 presidential election, Niger state delivered over 375,000 votes—the highest in the North Central Zone, the fourth highest in Northern Nigeria, and sixth nationally.

“In addition, we secured two out of three senatorial seats, 70 per cent of House of Representatives seats, and delivered an APC governor. This strong show of support cannot and should not be overlooked.

“Furthermore, Niger state initially contested for the location of the NCDC headquarters alongside Nasarawa State, but we graciously stepped down and conceded the Headquarters location to Nasarawa.

“Our expectation was clear: that this concession would be recognized through the allocation of at least one of the Commission’s two principal positions—either the Managing Director/CEO or Chairman. Disappointingly, we received neither.

“This decision is not only unfair, but also undermines the delicate ethno-cultutal and political balance of the North Central region, ” he said.

He stressed that the zone is broadly divided into two ethno-cultural blocs: the Benue-Plateau-Nasarawa axis and the Niger-Kogi-Kwara-FCT axis

“It is therefore politically and morally imperative that the principal offices of Chairman and Managing Director be shared across these blocs. As things stand, both top positions, along with the Commission’s headquarters, are concentrated in one bloc—the Benue-Plateau-Nasarawa axis, ” he lamented.