Salihu Lukman, vice-chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the north-west, says it will be insensitive to members of the party if Abdullahi Ganduje replaces Abdullahi Adamu as national chairman.
There have been rumours suggesting that Ganduje, immediate-past governor of Kano, is being favoured to become APC chairman.
Adamu and Iyiola Omisore, former national secretary of the party, relinquished their positions this week.
In a statement on Thursday, Lukman said anointing the former governor as chairman would distort the party’s zoning arrangement.
He added that it would be “political suicide” if the chairmanship goes to the north-west, where Ganduje hails from.
“So far, as things are, only the president and governors’ blocs are active in the negotiation to produce and engage leaders of APC,” Lukman said.
“Already, part of the speculations emerging from the governors bloc is that Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is being considered to succeed Sen. Abdullahi Adamu.
“If this is true, it only suggests insensitivity and taking members of the party for granted.
“This is without prejudice to the person of Dr. Ganduje.
“This is because such a choice will completely distort the zoning arrangement that informed the present configuration of the leadership of the national assembly.
“With the speaker of house of representatives and deputy senate president coming from north-west and north-central shut out of consideration, to propose the party’s national chairman to move to north-west from north-central will be unjust and almost a political suicide.”
Lukman said the position of national chairman should remain in the north-central.
“We must caution our governors that since the emergence of APC, governors have served almost as the conscience of the party,” he said.
“Any consideration for such an insensitive and unjust consideration of Dr. Ganduje to become the national chairman of APC must be discarded.
“If anything, the position of national chairman of the APC must be retained in north-central.”