North-Central APC Forum Demands Chairmanship Slot After Ganduje’s Exit

The North-Central APC Forum has renewed calls for the party’s leadership to be zoned back to the region, following the resignation of Abdullahi Ganduje as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Naijaonpoint had earlier reported that Ganduje, a former governor of Kano State from the North-West, stepped down on Friday, citing health concerns.

The Chairman of the Forum, Saleh Zazzaga, in a statement released in Abuja on Saturday, described the development as a “golden opportunity” for the party to rectify what he termed as “zoning injustice” done to the North-Central region after the exit of Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

Zazzaga, who served as a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 general election, said the North-Central had initially refrained from opposing Ganduje’s appointment in the interest of unity.

He said, “It is on record that the North-Central APC Forum has consistently advocated for adherence to the party’s zoning arrangement, which allocated the position of National Chairman to our region.

“Even though we had insisted that the North-Central be allowed to complete the tenure of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, we eventually suspended our agitation after the NEC ratified Ganduje’s appointment—purely for party unity and in recognition of his performance.”

The forum stated that Ganduje’s resignation presents an opportunity to address the leadership imbalance within the party.

“Now that Ganduje has stepped aside, the party has a fresh opportunity to uphold fairness and equity by allowing the North-Central to produce the next National Chairman,” Zazzaga added.

He acknowledged Ganduje’s achievements during his tenure, noting that his leadership saw the defection of prominent political figures, including governors from Delta and Akwa Ibom States, into the party.

The group urged President Bola Tinubu to lend his support to the region’s demand and called on Acting National Chairman Ali Dalori to promptly convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to elect a substantive chairman from the North-Central.

According to the forum, the demand is not based on a sense of entitlement but on the fact that the zone has competent leaders capable of steering the party to victory in 2027.