The Minister for Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has debunked the report making the rounds that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned the presidential ticket of the party to the South-West region of the country.

Ngige, while speaking to newsmen in Abuja on Monday, described the report as unfounded and the machinations of fifth columnists fanning the confusion for the ruling party to zone its presidential ticket to the South-West ahead of the 2023 general election.

The minister disclosed that his constituents in Anambra State, a former Inspector General of Police (IGP), and two others urged him to run for the presidency in 2023.

He, however, stated that he would consult President Muhammadu Buhari before declaring his intention to contest for the country’s number one seat.

Ngige said: “Our party zoned the ticket to the South and that includes the South-East, South-West and South-South and it is up to the South-East to ensure that the ticket comes to the South-East.

“I am still consulting and I am consulting widely before making my intentions known and don’t forget that I am highly qualified for that position and when you go to section 131 of Nigeria’s constitution you can agree with that I am qualified.

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“I am educated up to school certificate level and I am above thirty-five years and I have no criminal record so I am qualified to contest.

“What more, don’t forget that I have a boss that I am working under and I would also consult him first and seek his opinion on the ambition so until April this year I am still consulting very widely for that.”

The former governor of Anambra State added that those against a President from the South-East region of the country are economical with the truth, stressing that it is only the South-East that is yet to produce a President.

“The South-West and South-South have produced President of Nigeria and it is only the South East that is yet to produce President from the South and it would be unfair for anybody to say that it is not our turn,” he added.

Ngige stated that the only way for the South-East to show seriousness ahead of the 2023 general election is for people from the region to contest for the presidency.

The Star