A former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff, says he will contest for the chairmanship of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) if the position is zoned to the North-east.
Mr Sheriff said this on Saturday in Damaturu, Yobe State.
Mr Sheriff, who joined the PDP from the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2014 after he fell out with his political godson, Governor Kashim Shettima, became the acting chairman of the PDP before decamping to the APC in April 2018.
He told journalists that he would contest for the position “unless the zoning formula adopted by the party disqualifies him”.
He said if the position is retained in his zone in the North-east, he will run for the office.
Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni is the current chairman of the caretaker committee of the party. The committee is tasked with organising a national convention where new leaders of the party would be elected later this year.
“The leadership of the party has not been zoned to any particular zone of the country for now. People have expressed their interests across the country,” Mr Sheriff said.
“But the real thing is that whether I will run for the office or not will be determined by what the caretaker committee takes as a decision on where the leadership of the party will go. Whether it will go to another place or it will remain in our zone.
“If it goes to another zone, I will not contest. But if it stays in our zone, I will contest,” Mr Sheriff declared.
Mr Sheriff, who accompanied Governor Buni to his village for the local government election held in the state on Saturday, said he was impressed by the huge turnout for the election.
He attributed the turnout to the ‘improvement’ of security in the state and the leadership qualities of Governor Buni.
“The crowd that you see here is a clear sign that peace has returned to our states, Borno and Yobe. Look at the people that turned out at Buni Gari for the local government election. This cannot happen in the past because of the activities of Boko Haram. I am highly impressed by the turnout,” Mr Sheriff said.
“Beyond security, the governor is also leading by example. The people love and trust what he is doing for them,” he said.