Support Statement by APC Members with Disabilities: H.E. Sen. Al-Makura Is One of Us — The Cap Truly Fits

As committed members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with disabilities, we rise in full support of the endorsement of Distinguished Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura as the next National Chairman of our great party. His emergence is not only timely but just, strategic, and profoundly symbolic of the inclusive democracy we have long advocated for.

Senator Al-Makura is not a stranger to us—he is one of us, a person with a disability who is not ashamed to be so identified. He has broken barriers, shattered stereotypes, and proven that competence, loyalty, and leadership are not defined or limited by physical conditions. His connection to the disability community is not performative; it is authentic, lived, personal, and deeply inspiring.

His endorsement by the North-Central APC Forum is both a recognition of merit and a call to justice. As stakeholders living with disabilities — a community over 35.5  million strong in Nigeria — we insist that this moment be seen as an opportunity to walk the talk on inclusion and equity. For far too long, leadership has spoken about us without us. The time has come for us to be represented at the very core of party leadership. Al-Makura’s candidacy represents that breakthrough.

The APC was founded on the pillars of progressivism, inclusion, and equity. Al-Makura is a founding member and signatory to the APC merger. He is from the CPC bloc, the only bloc among the three legacy parties (CPC, ACN, ANPP) that is yet to produce a national chairman. This is the time to right that imbalance.

His long-standing record of service — from being a youth leader in the NPN, state party secretary in the NRC, governor under the CPC, APC senator, and reconciliatory figure in multiple national party assignments — is unmatched. He is a bridge between the old and the new, between the grassroots and the elite, and between the marginalized and the mainstream.

We, members of the disability community in APC, wholeheartedly endorse Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura as the next National Chairman of our party. We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC National Executive Committee, and other stakeholders to listen to the voices of inclusion and justice.

Let APC lead by example. Let APC walk the path of equity. Let APC prove it is the party of all Nigerians, including persons with disabilities.

Al-Makura is one of us. The cap fits. Let him wear it.

Job Napoleon Agbor ACFE

A committed APC member with Disability

A university Academic Don

Convener of the Pioneers of Nigeria’s National and International Disability Civil Rights Movement and Policy Change Advocates

Editor in Chief: APC Voice of the Voiceless for PWDs

On behalf of:

Concerned APC Members with Disabilities

Voice for Inclusive Democracy

June 30, 2025