SaharaReporters had reported that the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje was suspended from the party in Kano State over allegations of bribery levelled against him by the state government.
The North Central Forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the zoning of the national chairmanship seat of the party to the region.
SaharaReporters had reported that the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje was suspended from the party in Kano State over allegations of bribery levelled against him by the state government.
The former governor was suspended by the executive members of Ganduje Ward in the Dawakin-Tofa local government area of Kano State.
But Ganduje has obtained a court order stopping his suspension from the party.
However, the Chairman of the APC North Central Forum, Alh Sale Zazzaga during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, called on President Bola Tinubu and other critical leaders and stakeholders of the party to look into the disadvantaged posture the North Central has found itself in.
The forum argued that the region has contributed significantly to the development and sustenance of the party over the years and deserves its national chairmanship position.
He said, "You will all recall that in the past weeks, our great party, the APC, has been going through some challenges.
“From calls by concerned minds within the party like the immediate past Zonal Vice Chairman North-West, Mallam Salihu Lukman, who continues to speak up against certain palpable anomalies regarding unbalanced distribution of key governmental offices and key leadership positions within the party amongst the three geopolitical zones of the North viz: North West, North East and North Central; to the recently shocking suspension of the National Chairman, H.E. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and several other sundry issues.
"It has become pertinently pressing for us as stakeholders of the North Central to address these issues as they affect the zone.
“First, we the stakeholders of the North Central wish to state respectfully but categorically that the zone, despite its visibly commendable outing for the APC at the 2023 polls (delivering five out of six Governors to the APC, winning the highest number of seats to the National and State Assemblies.
"In addition to a robust delivery of four out of six states at the presidential polls being the highest on aggregate of results amongst the six geopolitical zones of the country) the zone remains at the bottom and the lowest rung of the ladder in the allocation of key positions, both in government and within the party. This is a huge disadvantage capable of demoralizing the zone that so loves the APC as seen in its actions.
"Following the resignation of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu as the National Chairman of the APC sometime last year, calls had been made for the retention of the office of the National Chairman in the North Central in compliance with the Party’s Constitution. 2 Unfortunately, these calls were not heeded and the position of National Chairman was taken to the North West.
"As it stands today, the North West alone holds three key positions: first, the position of the Deputy Senate President, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Chairman of the party, with two of those positions held by Kano State alone.
“This is contrary to the dictates of fairness and balance which is at the core of the party’s guiding principles and the spirit of its constitution.
"The North Central, being a patient zone, continues to offer itself wholly to the wellbeing, growth and development of the party. At this juncture, it has become critically necessary for us as major stakeholders from the zone to air our views and bare our minds to the leadership of the party across all levels with the sole aim of calling on the leadership to look at these issues objectively for the sake of strengthening the party within the zone and Nigeria at large.”
The forum, therefore, called on “Mr. President and leader of the party, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other critical leaders and stakeholders of the party to look into the disadvantaged posture the North Central has found itself in”.
"That to correct some of these anomalies, the party may kindly wish to show as a mark of goodwill towards the North Central, take a step back and look again into the provisions of the Party’s Constitution and return the position to the North Central.
"In conclusion, this passionate appeal is to serve as a reward for the hard work that the North Central Geopolitical Zone has done for the APC," the statement added.