By Isreal Adamu, Jos
Following the National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the All Progressives Congress, the North-Central APC Forum has announced that it has ended all agitations over leadership positions in the party.
It will be recalled that the NEC meeting, which held at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday, ratified the zoning of chairmanship of the party to the North-West.
Before the development, the position had been zoned to the North-Central but Abdullahi Ganduje, from Kano State in the North-West, was appointed the APC national chairman after Abdullahi Adamu, ex-governor of Nasarawa State, was removed without completing his tenure.
The North-Central APC Forum, which agitated for the zone to be given the opportunity to complete Adamu’s tenure, had gone to court to seek Ganduje’s removal as national chairman.
However, the APC Forum, on October 16, 2024, suspended the demand for Ganduje’s removal, pending the decision of the party’s NEC.
With the ratification of zoning of the national chairmanship to the North-West, Ganduje’s position has been validated by the NEC.
The NEC, at its Wednesday meeting, also passed a vote of confidence on President Bola Tinubu and Ganduje.
Reacting to the outcome of the NEC meeting in a statement by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, on Thursday, the North-Central APC Forum said it has decided to drop all agitations and align with the position of the party’s national leadership.
“As loyal party members interested in the progress of the APC, we agree with all the decisions taken at the NEC meeting. We endorse the vote of confidence passed on President Bola Tinubu and the national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
“The NEC is the highest decision making organ of the party and the NEC has passed a vote of confidence on the national chairman.
“We respect the decision of Mr President and the NEC. As a result of that, we have decided to stop all agitations concerning the leadership and other issues in the APC.
“We are urging all members of the party to support President Bola Tinubu and the national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje. We also seek the support of all North-Central stakeholders for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume as the leader of the party in the zone.
“We recognize Senator Akume as our father in the North-Central. Having decided to stop all agitations, there is nothing left than to unite ourselves in the interest of the zone and to give massive support to President Bola Tinubu in all his policies and in future elections,” the statement said.
Tinubu had in an address at the NEC meeting, charged the Ganduje-led APC National Working Committee, NWC, to redouble efforts at reconciling aggrieved members of the party.
The North-Central APC Forum, in the statement signed by Zazzaga, a member of the APC presidential campaign council in the 2023 election, said it would support Ganduje in reconciling aggrieved members of the party.
The APC Forum also called for peace and reconciliation between the Government of Benue State led by Governor Hyacinth Alia and the SGF, Akume.
“We are also praying God to give the national chairman the wisdom to carry everybody along and to reconcile all aggrieved members.
“We also urge the Government of Benue State to respect the authority of the SGF, Senator George Akume as the leader of the party in the North-Central.
“As stakeholders of the North-Central, we believe that everybody should unite and be on the same page to work for the progress and development of the zone,” the statement added.
