MAKURDI – President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been charged to support the emergence of someone from the Middle-Belt to succeed him as Nigeria’s president come the end of his eight years tenure in 2031.
Chief Moses Ayom, a presidential aspirant in the last primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who disclosed this while floating the Independent Campaign Council (ICC) in support of Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia for Governor of Benue State, insisted that 2031 was the ’emi lokan’ of the Middle-Belt
He said it was his desire to ensure that Rev Fr Alia emerged through a landslide victory during the governorship election, hence the need to float the ICC ahead of the gubernatorial mega campaign rallies in the three senatorial districts which commences in Otukpo, Otukpo Local Government Area on Monday.
According to him, “I am congratulating Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima and state that, because of his (Tinubu’s) pedigree, antecedents, outstanding qualities, we’ve been able to bring Benue out of opposition.
“This was also made possible by the leadership provided by the APC leader in Benue State, Senator George Akume and the candidature of Rev Fr Alia, as one of the most popular politicians and we thank him (Tinubu) for that.”
Ayom, a forerunner for Middle-Belt agitation for political emancipated also, said, “But most importantly, we are reminding him (Tinubu) that Middle-Belt has a pact through the relationship that J S Tarka had with Awo (Chief Obafemi Awolowo), which have translated to what we have today.
“Again, J S Tarka had this relationship with the people of Borno; with the uncle of Kashim Shittima who was elected to serve under Benue State, through J S Tarka
“So, we are saying this is the final lap because we have once again given them (Tinubu and Shettima) the support by voting for them massively in the Middle-Belt. And I’m appealing to Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider the Middle-Belt, who has never tasted the presidency since the beginning of democracy.
“We are pleading with him to be fair to us; to consider the Middle-Belt which has been so marginalised by the time he is concluding his eight years in 2031.
“We know Tinubu as a democrat, as someone who is independent minded and we believe that after his tenure, he will do justice, fairness and equity, which is what he has been preaching over the years.
“And he will practice what he preaches by handing over the mantle of leadership to the Middle-Belt by the time he leaves office in 2031. So 2031 is the turn of the Middle-Belt; it is our ’emi lokan’, he stated.
Speaking on the constitution of the ICC, he said, “I have formed the Independent Campaign Council for Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia for Governor and it is supposed to be for grassroots mobilization. For instance if I go to Mbatiav, I’ll tell them of the benefits of voting Rev Fr Alia.
“We intend to move very fast so as to cover a lot of ground within the next few days. In fact, we have already covered a lot of grounds. We actually are already working, but today (Sunday) is just the formal launching of the outfit.”
Ayom who is the convener of the ICC, doubles as the Chairman of the occasion of the gubernatorial campaign rally in Zone ‘A’ said the mega rallies organised by the Benue state chapter of APC and the Alialization-Alia/Ode campaign organization 2023 will also hold in Benue North-West and Benue South within the week.
Ayom who was named the hero of the APC re-run primaries in Gboko assured the party that he was poised to work for the overwhelming success of the APC in the last round of the general elections, adding that the event will mark a turning point in Benue’s political history.
