Ahead of the All Progressives Congress, APC, national convention slated for Saturday in Abuja, one of the contenders for the position of Deputy National Chairman North, Hon. Yusuf Sheriff Modu, has opted for the position of National Secretary, North East Zone.

Sheriff’s hurried change of aspiration as contained in a statement by the Director of Media of his Campaign Council, Olufemi James Urrah in Abuja Wednesday, was sequel to pressures mounted on him by Party stakeholders in the North East zone.

According to the statement, though the position of Deputy National Chairman North, is micro zoned to Borno State where Sheriff hails from, the party elders led by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum want another party loyalist to contest for it on consensus template.

The critical stakeholders of the party in the state, the statement added, persuaded Sheriff to go for zonal secretaryship of the party for North East, also zoned to Borno State.

In his acceptance of the arrangement as contained in the statement, Sheriff said: “After due consultations with my party critical and non-critical stakeholders, party chairmen from the North Eastern state, where I come from, who have been involved in micro zoning negotiations with other states in the zone, have however come out with the agreement reached among the states in the zone as follows;

“Deputy National Chairman North now micro-zoned to my state, which is the only NWC position zoned to Borno State. As a result my leaders advised me to opt for another position available to Borno within the Zonal positions, because the NWC slot has been given to a serving Senator from my State considering the current scenario in the party and the country.

“I have accordingly communicated with all my leaders, structures, supporters and well wishers to yield to the advice of our leaders to take the position of Secretary, North East Zone.

“I appreciate my State Governor, HE Zulum, Senator Kashim Shetima, my APC state chairman and all the North East APC state chairmen, and other stakeholders for their steadfast and unflinching supports throughout the period of consultation and campaign for the position of Deputy National Chairman North.

“However, the very solid structure earlier set up for the position of Deputy National Chairman North, has come to stay, to compliment the effort of our great party APC ahead of 2023 General Elections.”