By Isreal Adamu, Jos
The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has strongly criticized the party’s National Vice Chairman for the North-Central, Muazu Bawa Rijau, over his recent statement condemning alleged attacks on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
Rijau, in a statement co-signed with the North-Central Zonal Secretary, Yakubu Adamu, had warned that legal action would be taken against what he described as “faceless” groups targeting Akume. The APC North-Central Forum, while not directly named, has previously criticized the SGF over alleged lopsided appointments and accused him of undermining Benue State Governor Hyacinth .
In a statement released on Sunday in Jos, the APC North-Central Forum, led by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, dismissed Rijau’s threats, asserting that he was not a member of the APC when the Forum was established as an official support group.
The Forum has been vocal about the need for the North-Central to produce the APC National Chairman in line with zoning arrangements. Previously, it pushed for the removal of National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje but later suspended the call.
According to the Forum, Rijau initially supported the agitation to remove Ganduje because he was interested in the position himself. However, they accused him of now working with Akume to undermine Governor Alia.
The Forum alleged that Rijau had remained silent on issues affecting the party in the North-Central, including:
– The political attacks on Governor Alia, despite him being the only Christian APC governor in the region.
– The alleged manipulation of party structures in Benue State by Akume’s allies.
– The strategic push to sideline Alia from the party’s leadership in the state.
They further accused Rijau of working with the recently dissolved APC chairman in Benue, Austin Agada, whom they described as a loyalist of Akume.
“If Rijau claims that the APC North-Central Forum is being sponsored against certain individuals, can he deny that he supported our past agitation against Ganduje? If not, he should provide evidence of who sponsored us at that time,” the statement read.
The Forum insisted that Rijau should resign if he cannot perform his duties impartially.
“As North-Central Vice Chairman, he should not take sides or destabilize the party in the region. His role is to accommodate all interests and promote unity,” the statement continued.
The Forum maintained that its criticisms of Akume were constructive and intended to protect the party’s interests in the North-Central. They described Rijau’s leadership as weak and ineffective, stating that true stakeholders like themselves are the ones keeping the party united.
**Forum Rejects Legal Threats**
Responding to Rijau’s warning of legal action, the Forum dismissed it as intimidation, stating that they would not back down.
“We are ready for any legal challenge. The APC belongs to all its members, not just a few self-serving officials. We will continue fighting for the good of the North-Central and the party at large,” the statement concluded.
