The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has rejected the protests against President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of Cyril Tsenyil as the Managing Director of the newly formed North Central Development Commission (NCDC).
The APC Forum, through its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, stated on Thursday that the individuals orchestrating the protests against Tsenyil’s appointment are impostors funded by the opposition to undermine the North Central Development Commission and hinder its mission of promoting rapid development in the North-Central region.
Naijaonpoint learnt that some residents from Plateau State, identified as the Concerned Plateau Youth Forum, had called on President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday to promptly rescind Tsenyil’s nomination, asserting that the appointment does not align with the collective interests of the Plateau State populace.
In a statement signed by Danladi Pam, the group announced plans to stage protests in Abuja to demand the withdrawal of Tsenyil’s nomination as MD of the North Central Development Commission. In response, the North-Central APC Forum characterised Danladi Pam and the Concerned Plateau Youth Forum as anonymous entities manipulated by opposition politicians who are discontented with the achievements of the APC administration led by President Bola Tinubu.
The Forum further condemned the statement released by the group as an attempt to coerce President Tinubu.
The APC Forum cautioned those behind the alleged conspiracy to reconsider their actions to avoid being perceived as adversaries of the North-Central region.
“We make bold to say that these people are not Plateau residents nor indigenes of the North-Central region. No right thinking person from the North-Central will want to become an obstacle to the accelerated development that is certainly coming to the region through the North-Central Development Commission, especially with the nomination of a tested and proven technocrat like Mr. Cyril Tsenyil as the Managing Director.
“The said Danladi Pam and his group are not known to us. Even as we dare them to show their face, we believe the faceless individuals are tools in the hands of the opposition.
“As bona fide stakeholders of the North-Central region, we distance ourselves from these faceless individuals. They and their sponsors are not our members, they are not stakeholders in the collective quest for the progress and development of the North-Central region.
“We urge the well-meaning people of the region to ignore the attempts being made by these entities to cause confusion and sabotage the mandate of the North-Central Development Commission,” the statement signed by Zazzaga, a member of the APC campaign council in the 2023 election, read.
The Nominee Is An APC Member Working For Tinubu
The APC Forum characterised Cyril Tsenyil’s appointment as managing director of the North-Central Development Commission as well-deserved.
The Forum noted that Tsenyil, in addition to his distinguished career as a professional accountant, has demonstrated unwavering loyalty and dedication to the APC, having fulfilled various roles and responsibilities that have significantly contributed to the party’s development and achievements.
“Mr. Cyril Tsenyil is a card-carrying member of the APC. He has worked for the success of the administration of President Bola Tinubu and we have full confidence in his ability to actualize the mandate of the North-Central Development Commission.
“We know his capacity because many of our members have served with him in different committees and can attest to his competence.
“As stakeholders who agitated for the creation of the North-Central Development Commission, we want to affirm that we are fully with Cyril Tsenyil and we are in support of his nomination by Mr. President.
“We call on the people of the North-Central to give him all the support he needs to succeed in this all important assignment. This is a new commission which came as an answered prayer for the North-Central after an initial delay and we call on the people of the region to pray and work for its success,” the statement added.
The APC Forum praised Tinubu for appointing Tsenyil as the Managing Director of the Commission, asserting that with Tsenyil leading the execution of the organization’s mandate, the North-Central region is strategically positioned to fulfill its commitment to secure six million votes for Tinubu in the upcoming 2027 election.
Naijaonpoint reports that President Bola Tinubu formally submitted his nominees for the leadership of the South West, North Central, and South-South development commissions to the Senate on May 8, 2025.
For the North Central Development Commission, 19 nominees were put forward, with Cosmos Akiyir nominated as Chairman and Cyril Tsenyil as Managing Director.
On February 4, 2025, Tinubu enacted a law establishing the North-Central Development Commission (NCDC), which is tasked with addressing developmental issues in the North-Central region of Nigeria.