North-Central APC Forum Urges Tinubu to Zone National Chairmanship to Region

The North-Central Forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on President Bola Tinubu and other party leaders to ensure the region is given the position of National Chairman, following the resignation of Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje from the role on Friday.

In a statement released in Abuja on Saturday, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, Chairman of the Forum and a member of the APC’s 2023 campaign council, said the demand is rooted in the principles of “fairness, justice, and equity.” He urged President Tinubu to direct Acting National Chairman, Ali Bukar Dalori, to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to enable the emergence of a substantive National Chairman from the North-Central zone.

The Forum reminded the party that the zoning arrangement had originally allocated the chairmanship to the North-Central, and that the region had previously gone to court to assert its right to complete the tenure of former Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

Although the Forum suspended its agitation when Ganduje was ratified as Chairman by the NEC—citing the need for party unity and Ganduje’s effective leadership—it now believes the time is ripe to return the position to the North-Central.

“Under Ganduje’s leadership, the APC recorded significant wins,” the statement noted, citing defections by sitting governors and lawmakers, as well as victories in states previously held by opposition parties, including Edo. “His efforts brought stability to the party during turbulent times for opposition groups.”

The Forum described Ganduje’s resignation as unfortunate but said it offers the party an opportunity to correct what it views as an imbalance. “Now that Ganduje has stepped aside, it is only just that the North-Central is allowed to produce his successor,” the Forum stated.

They also pointed to the region’s strong support for APC in the 2023 general election, where it delivered the third-highest vote tally for Tinubu after the South-West and North-West. The President secured over 1.7 million votes in the zone, outperforming the Labour Party and PDP.

The Forum further highlighted the political strength of the North-Central, with APC currently controlling five out of six states in the region—Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, and Niger. Plateau remains under PDP, although the Forum noted ongoing efforts to persuade Governor Caleb Mutfwang to join the ruling party.

The group concluded by asserting that the region is not only entitled to the position by the zoning arrangement but also has numerous qualified leaders capable of steering the party to victory in 2027.

“We are not merely making a sentimental appeal,” the statement said. “The North-Central has both the political strength and competent leaders to take the APC forward. The party must act swiftly to do what is right and sustain its momentum.”