A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Dr. Mohammed Santuraki (Santurakin Nupe) has objected to the composition of the leadership of the newly established North Central Development Commission (NCDC).
He criticised the list of NCDC appointees published by the Presidency on Friday, describing it as lopsided and unfairly favouring certain states over others.
Santuraki, who is also the pro-chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council, Federal University of Technology, Minna, in a statement on Saturday, lamented that despite Niger State’s sacrifices and significant contributions to the ruling party’s electoral victory, it was unfairly excluded from the positions of chairman and managing director of the commission.
He, therefore, demanded that the state be given the chairmanship or the managing director position of the commission.
He said: “While 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.
“ Our concern is 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.
“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% 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. 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 and is insensitive to the delicate ethno-cultural diversity and political balance of the North Central region. The zone is broadly divided into two ethno-cultural blocs, which are Benue-Plateau-Nasarawa axis, and Niger-Kogi-Kwara-FCT axis,” he said.
Santuraki argued that it was politically and morally imperative that the principal offices of chairman and managing director be shared across these blocs, adding that with the present composition both positions are concentrated in the Benue-Plateau-Nasarawa axis.
He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and redress the imbalance.
“Niger State has earned its place through loyalty, sacrifice, and contribution. We seek not favour, but fairness,” Santuraki said.