The North-Central All Progressives Congress (NC APC) Forum has called on President Bola Tinubu and the party’s leadership to uphold fairness and return the office of the APC National Chairman to the North-Central region, ahead of the crucial National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 24, 2025.
The Forum also firmly rejected calls for the extension of the acting chairmanship of Ali Bukar Dalori, the Deputy National Chairman (North) from Borno State, who stepped in following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Forum’s Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, who also served on the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 elections, said returning the chairmanship to the North-Central would not only reflect equity and fairness but also align with the party’s internal zoning arrangements.
“There are several capable personalities in the North-Central who can lead the APC. We appeal to the President to choose any one of them to lead the party as National Chairman,” Zazzaga said.
The Forum warned that ignoring the North-Central zone would amount to political betrayal, especially since the region had previously held the position through Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who emerged as Chairman in 2022 but resigned before completing his tenure.
The group dismissed concerns that leadership changes might destabilise the party, stating instead that honouring the original zoning principle would strengthen unity and deepen trust among members, particularly in a pre-election year.
The resignation of Abdullahi Ganduje on June 27 reopened the debate over where the chairmanship should reside. The North-Central Forum insists the region must be allowed to complete its original tenure before any discussion of rotating the position.
“We are not against anyone, but we are for fairness,” Zazzaga said. “Our zone deserves the position, and it is the right thing to do for the stability of the party and the confidence of our supporters in the region.”
As the APC heads into Thursday’s NEC meeting, the call by the North-Central Forum adds to growing political pressure on the presidency and party leadership to ensure equitable representation and balance within the ruling party’s top hierarchy.
“As the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party meets on Thursday, we, the North-Central APC Forum appeal to President Bola Tinubu and other leaders of the party to do the right thing and ensure that the National Chairman is returned to the North-Central.
“Any decision to the contrary will be viewed as a betrayal. It will be a terrible disappointment to stakeholders in the North-Central if the NEC fails to uphold fairness and equity.
“The North-Central gave President Tinubu and the APC the third highest number of votes in the 2023 presidential election, behind the South-West and North-West.
“In the presidential election, the APC secured 1,760,993 votes (41.3%) in the North-Central, ahead of the Labour Party’s 1,415,557 (33.2%) and the PDP’s 1,025,178 (24.1%).
“The North-Central deserves to produce the APC National Chairman due to the region’s contributions to the party,” he said.
Furthermore, the Forum noted that APC currently governs five of the six states in the region, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, and Niger, a feat unmatched in any other zone.
“Among the various geopolitical zones, the North-Central has the highest number of APC governors. This unmatched record demonstrates the strength and the wide acceptance of the party in the region.
“Returning the position of National Chairman to the North-Central is not a favour; it is well deserved,” he said.
However, the Forum dismissed calls by Dr. Maryam Danjaki’s All Progressives Stakeholders Forum to extend Ali Bukar Dalori’s acting chairmanship, rejecting fears of unrest or political instability.
“We reject any plan to extend Dalori’s acting tenure. That would be robbing Peter to pay Paul. The North-East should not benefit at the expense of the North-Central.
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“It is on record that the opposition won in the North-East in 2023, even though the running mate of President Bola Tinubu is from the zone.”
“In the North-East during the last presidential election, PDP’s Atiku Abubakar secured 1,741,846 votes (55.9%), while Tinubu managed only 933,176 votes (29.9%), a result the Forum believes undermines any claim by the North-East to the National Chairmanship position.
“The North-Central and the North-West are the only zones that believed in President Bola Tinubu 100 percent. We don’t want a situation where our people will feel that their contributions are not appreciated,” Zazzaga said.
Addressing fears that a change in leadership could destabilise the party, the Forum said the opposite is true.
“Effecting a change in leadership by returning the position of National Chairman to the North-Central will revitalise the party. It will demonstrate that the APC is committed to the principles of fairness and equity,” he said.