Mohammed Santuraki, a stakeholder of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger state, has asked President Bola Tinubu to address the alleged imbalance in the composition of the board and management of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).
In a statement issued on Saturday, Santuraki said Niger state has been short-changed in the newly constituted board and management of the NCDC.
He added that the state’s political support for the current administration and its earlier concession of the commission’s headquarters should have earned it a more significant stake.
“Let us revisit the facts: 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 sixth nationally,” the statement reads.
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“In addition, we secured two out of three senatorial seats, 70% of House of Representatives seats, and delivered an APC governor. This strong show of support cannot and should not be overlooked.”
Santuraki, who is also the pro-chancellor and chairman of the governing council of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger, said the party’s strength in the state reflected a strong commitment that should not be ignored in national appointments.
He noted that Niger state initially vied for the location of the NCDC headquarters but later allowed Nasarawa to take the slot in the interest of regional unity.
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“Our expectation was clear: that this concession would be recognized 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 undermines and is insensitive to the delicate ethno-cultural diversity and political balance of the North Central region.”
Santuraki said the north-central zone is “broadly divided into two blocs” — the Benue-Plateau-Nasarawa axis and the Niger-Kogi-Kwara-FCT axis.
“At the moment, both top positions — chairman and managing director — are held by persons from one bloc, and so is the location of the headquarters,” he said.
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“This is not only unjust, but it also disrespects the delicate ethno-political balance that holds the region together.”
