Forum of Members of State Houses of Assembly in the South-South, under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, has endorsed the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for Presidency in 2023.

Rising from its extraordinary meeting held in Calabar, Cross River State capital, on Monday, the forum pointed out that it would be the best decision for the leadership of APC to zone the presidency to North Central in the spirit of fairness and justice.

According to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the legislators from Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers States, agreed that the North Central had been marginalised since the nation gained independence, adding that allowing it to produce the next President would be fair.

The lawmakers commended the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for what they described as purposeful leadership and also eulogised Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade for promptly connecting the state to the centre and for being the first in the South-South geopolitical zone.

The communiqué read, “That the APC State Assembly Legislators of the South-South, who were elected by the people of the six states that make up the geo-political zone believe that the best thing for our party as we approach the 2023 general elections is to give room for marginalised zones to produce the next President.

“Consequently, we appeal to the national leadership of our party, the APC, to zone the Presidency to North Central for fairness and sense of belonging to prevail.

“We hereby state that we agree to support our colleagues in the North Central to contest for the position of the President of Nigeria in 2023 – which is a position that the zone had hitherto been deprived of since Nigeria became independent in 1960.”