Niger stakeholders urge Tinubu to redress imbalance in NCDC Board, Management

A group styled All Progressives Congress Stakeholders, Niger State, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to resolve an alleged imbalance in the composition of the Board and Management of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC). In a statement issued by the Secretary-General of the group, Mohammed K Santuraki (Santuraki of Nupe), the stakeholders argued that the President’s intervention was needed to resolve the lopsidedness and ensure fair and equitable representation of Niger State in the Board and Management of the Commission.

The group regretted that only one non-executive director and a single executive director were allocated to Niger State in the Board and Management of NCDC stressing that the representation falls short of what the state justly deserves. The stakeholders premised their concerns on “two key realities”. The two factors are the electoral support that Niger State gave to President Tinubu during the last general election and the fact that the State agitated for the hosting of the headquarters of the NCDC but later conceded that to Nasarawa State.

The stakeholders emphasised: “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. 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.

“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 undermines the delicate ethno-cultural and political balance of the North Central region.”

According to the stakeholders, the North Central zone is broadly divided into two ethno-cultural blocs: The Benue-Plateau-Nasarawa axis and the Niger-Kogi-Kwara-FCT axis. They therefore contended that it is politically and morally imperative that the principal offices of Chairman and Managing Director be shared across the two blocs. “As things stand, both top positions, along with the Commission’s headquarters, are concentrated in one bloc—the Benue-Plateau-Nasarawa axis,” they lamented.

“We respectfully urge His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to intervene and redress this glaring imbalance. Niger State has earned its place through loyalty, sacrifice, and contribution. We seek not favour, but fairness,” the stakeholders concluded.