By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

Ahead of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scheduled for Thursday, July 24, 2025, the North-Central APC Forum has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the party’s National Chairman position is returned to the North-Central region.

The call was made in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the Forum?s Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, who said such a move would reflect equity and uphold the party?s zoning arrangement.

The NEC meeting is expected to address key issues, including the appointment of a substantive National Chairman following the resignation of Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje on June 27. Currently, Deputy National Chairman (North), Ali Bukar Dalori from Borno State, serves in acting capacity.

Zazzaga emphasized that returning the National Chairmanship to the North-Central is not only consistent with the APC?s existing zoning policy but also a deserved recognition of the region?s significant contributions to the party?s growth and electoral success.

?The North-Central has over the years played a strategic role in the progress and development of the APC,? he said. ?Any decision contrary to returning the chairmanship to the region would be a betrayal and a terrible disappointment to our stakeholders.?

He cited the 2023 presidential election in which the North-Central delivered the third highest number of votes for President Tinubu?1,760,993 votes?behind the South-West and North-West. APC also controls five out of the six states in the region: Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, and Niger.

The Forum criticized the suggestion by another group, the All Progressives Stakeholders Forum, to allow Dalori to remain in acting capacity until after the party?s next convention. According to Zazzaga, such an arrangement would ?rob Peter to pay Paul,? effectively allowing the North-East to usurp a role zoned to the North-Central.

?It is on record that the opposition won in the North-East in 2023 despite the fact that the vice-presidential candidate was from that region,? the statement read. Tinubu secured only 933,176 votes in the North-East, while PDP?s Atiku Abubakar garnered 1,741,846 votes.

Zazzaga maintained that appointing a new National Chairman from the North-Central would not cause internal unrest as feared by some, but rather restore confidence and fairness within the party.

?There are several capable and credible leaders in the North-Central who can steer the APC toward greater unity and success,? he said. ?We appeal to President Bola Tinubu to take the necessary step and return the chairmanship to our region.?

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