I’m contesting APC chairmanship, not presidency – Sheriff

Ahead of the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress scheduled for February 26, 2022, a former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, has said he is running for the office of the party chairman and not the presidency.

Speaking on Friday during an interactive session with journalists, the former governor said, “Many insinuations are going around; Ali Sheriff is not looking to be (APC) chairman, he is looking to be presidential candidate. Please, I want to put it on record today; I am not looking to be  president; I am looking for the National Chairman’s (position) to lead the party to victory.

“I want to lead a campaign like what we did in 2014 to make sure that our father and leader (Buhari) hands over power to another APC man as a President. If I want to be president, I am not afraid of anybody, but I don’t want to be president but the (party) National Chairman.”

“I desire to contribute immensely to the transformation of Nigeria using our Party, the APC, as a tool to enthrone a better society for all and to make our people digitally inclined. I also intend to transform the party into a political institution for all, especially for the empowerment of youths and women for more political participation so that the party will be the party to beat in the next 50 years in the continent of Africa.”

Asked about zoning and speculations that the APC may have zoned the national chairmanship to the north-central, Sheriff said the party had yet to finalise a zoning arrangement and that he wasn’t the only candidate from the North-East. He also faulted reports that he had been dropped from the race, saying it was clear persons going around with such reports were afraid of his candidacy.

“The party leadership, as of today, has not even constituted any committee; they were meeting for the last three or four days to develop a committee for the election and everything,” he added.

He expressed confidence that the party would get the convention right.