Former APC senatorial candidate for Benue South in the 2023 elections, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, has endorsed Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura for the position of substantive National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement released on Monday, Onjeh praised Al-Makura as a competent and respected figure with the right experience and national reach to lead the party effectively at a critical time. While commending the recent appointment of Alhaji Ali Bukar Dalori as interim chairman, Onjeh emphasized that if the APC leadership returns the chairmanship to the North Central zone, Senator Al-Makura stands out as the most qualified candidate.

He highlighted Al-Makura’s extensive political network across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and his role as a unifying force within the party.

According to Onjeh, Al-Makura’s consistency, loyalty, and unshaken commitment to the APC—even without holding any political appointment—make him a standout candidate.

“Senator Adamu was made chairman, Akume is SGF, but Al-Makura, who contested, has yet to be compensated. Still, he remained steadfast,” Onjeh said.

He recalled how Al-Makura, the only CPC-elected governor in 2011, resisted pressure to defect from the then-dominant PDP and laid the foundation for the APC’s eventual success.

Onjeh further argued that with the President from the South-West and the Vice President from the North-East, fairness demands that the North Central be allowed to produce the party’s next chairman. He urged the APC to adopt a consensus model in electing its new leader, stating that it would foster internal harmony—just as the party earlier adopted consensus to endorse President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 race.