ABUJA, Nigeria — The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has renewed its demand for the party’s national chairmanship to be zoned to the region, following the resignation of Abdullahi Ganduje, who stepped down this week citing health reasons.
In a statement issued on Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Abuja, Saleh Zazzaga, Chairman of the North-Central APC Forum and a former member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, said the development presents a “golden opportunity” for the party to address what he described as an “injustice” against the North-Central geopolitical zone.
“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,” Zazzaga said.
“We had insisted that the North-Central be allowed to complete the tenure of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, even taking legal steps to assert our position.”
Ganduje, a former two-term governor of Kano State from the North-West, was appointed National Chairman following the resignation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who hails from Nasarawa State in the North-Central.
“However, following the ratification of Ganduje’s appointment by the National Executive Committee (NEC), we suspended our agitation in the spirit of party unity and in recognition of the progress made under his leadership,” Zazzaga noted.
Under Ganduje’s tenure, the APC recorded a series of high-profile defections, including governors from Delta and Akwa Ibom States, along with several federal lawmakers, according to the forum.
With Ganduje’s exit, the forum is urging the party to now revisit its zoning formula. “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 stated.
The group also called on President Bola Tinubu to support the North-Central’s aspiration and urged Ali Dalori, the current acting national chairman from the North-East, to convene a NEC meeting promptly for the election of a substantive chairman.
“Our demand is not rooted in a sense of entitlement,” Zazzaga said, “but in the clear fact that the North-Central has competent leaders capable of steering the party toward victory in the 2027 general elections.”
