Niger APC Chieftain Rejects Composition of NCDC Leadership

Linus Aleke in Abuja 

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Dr Mohammed Santuraki, has kicked against the composition of the leadership of the newly established North Central Development Commission (NCDC), describing it as unfair. 

Santuraki, who is the Santurakin Nupe described the list of NCDC appointees published on Friday as lopsided, insisting that it favoured certain states at the detriment of others. 

In a statement he issued yesterday, Santuraki, who is also  the Secretary-General of the Niger-South Senior Stakeholders’ Forum (NSSF), appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and redress the imbalance against Niger State in the appointments.

 He argued that despite Niger State’s sacrifices and significant contributions to the ruling party’s electoral victory, the state was unfairly excluded from the positions of Chairman and Managing Director 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 the 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. We graciously stepped down and conceded the headquarters location to Nasarawa. Our expectation was clear: That this concession would be recognised 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 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: the Benue-Plateau-Nasarawa axis and the Niger-Kogi-Kwara-FCT axis.” 

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 were concentrated in the Benue-Plateau-Nasarawa axis. 

 He urged President Tinubu to intervene and redress the imbalance. 

Niger State, he said, has earned its place through loyalty, sacrifice, and contribution, adding that, “we seek not favour, but fairness.”