From Dan Amasingha, Minna

Ahead of the 2023 Presidential election, the North Central Network for Better Leadership, has called on all leading political parties in the country to allocate their presidential tickets to candidates from the North-Central for the sake of equity, justice and political inclusiveness.

Director General of the group, Ambassador Jibrin Abdullahi Muregi made the call while speaking to newsmen on their nine point demand in Minna.

Ambassador Muregi  explained that, the North central over the years has acted as the bridge that link the North to the South and the third most populous geopolitical zone of the Country.

“Despite this strength, the zone has been sidelines and relegated to play in the third backward role in the political affairs and configuration of our great country,” Muregi said.

He lamented that, the highest political office the zone currently occupies now is that of the office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, a situation that he noted is unacceptable to the Zone.

According to him, determined to correct this imbalance and marginalisation, the North central for better Nigeria has developed a strategic action plan involving planning, advocacy, lobbying, strategic alliances and uniting political gladiators towards the realization of the presidency in 2023.

“As a first step the Network is strongly appealing to the major political parties in the country as they conduct their congresses to zone the Presidential tickets to the North central zone.

“Our agitation would make our country    United and is also linked to quest for generational change, this is the time to put to practice the Not too young to rule act,” Muregi added.

Speaking on the worsening security situation in the zone, the Kwara state representative of the Network for Better Leadership in Nigeria, Kareem Adekaje said there is urgent need to upscale the security architecture of the Country by imploring technology in the fight against insecurity.

Adekaje noted that, deploying drones and other technological innovation in the fight against insurgency, banditry and kidnapping will go a long way in reducing the frightening dimension insecurity is taken in the country.

“If people are aware that, technological eyes with expose their criminal activities and they will be traced, arrested and prosecuted, it will at least serve as a deterrent,” he concluded.