Assist us in removing Ganduje, APC North-central tells North-west

After the suspension of All Progressives Congress (APC), National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje by his Kano State Ward, the ensuing legal disputes and the crisis it has caused, the North Central APC Forum has asked its North West counterpart for assistance in removing Ganduje from office so that the region (North Central) can regain the seat.

The forum forbade the North West APC from endorsing Ganduje or granting him a vote of confidence of any kind.

The chairman of the forum, Alhaji Saleh Mandung Zazzaga, told reporters on Tuesday in Jos, Plateau State, about the outcomes of the North West APC stakeholders’ meeting that was held in Kaduna last Sunday. He said that multiple votes of no confidence had already been passed on Ganduje from various quarters and that anything the North West APC did not support would be detrimental.

The chairman pointed out that the party’s apparent problem, which is yet unresolved, made the North West stakeholders in Kaduna’s praise of the party’s leadership quite insensitive.

Apart from Ganduje’s Kano ward, Zazzaga—who was also a member of the Presidential Campaign Council during the previous election—explained further that since there had been other agitations, lawsuits, and protests against him, his continued tenure in that position would only devastate the APC and stoke discord among its members.

He suggested that Ganduje step down to avoid hurting the party or exposing it to legal risks, and giving the opposition a leg up as he was rumoured to have numerous troubles around him.

The chairman further clarified that the forum has been cooperating with the North West APC and that Ganduje should not be the reason for the relationship to deteriorate.

Zazzaga noted that apart from the issues surrounding Ganduje, “the National Chairmanship position of the party he occupies is for the North Central region, considering the party arrangements.”

He says it is therefore appropriate that the former National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, who is also from Nassarawa State or the North Central region, be replaced by someone from this region rather than Ganduje, who is from the North West.

He said the forum would not stop until the goal was accomplished, stating that the North Central region had engaged in several activities and had taken calculated steps to regain the seat.

“We are cautioning the North West APC against any move to back Ganduje because he is from North West. Apart from the crisis rocking Ganduje and its ability to tear the party apart, the seat he is occupying is supposed to be for the North Central, and we are calling on our North West counterparts to support us as we push to reclaim it.

“The North West already has good positions like the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Deputy Senate President, among others, and the APC National Chairmanship position that by virtue of party arrangement should be for the North Central is being occupied by Ganduje from the North West.

“In the spirit of fairness and equity, the National Chairmanship position should be occupied by someone from the North Central region, because we too are part of the ruling party and we played a key role in the emergence of President Bola Tinubu in the last year’s election. We also performed well for the party in different elective positions.

“Notable among the remarkable performance of the North Central region is the winning of five states for the APC out of the six states in the North Central region, which is Benue, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa and Kwara. So we deserve the leadership position of the party, and we will stand up to any region that wants to deny us of the position.

“We cannot afford to fold our hand and let the position or other benefit for the North Central region be transferred to another region, hijacked or denied since our region is also a critical stakeholder in the APC.

“So, we call on President Tinubu to intervene and revert the privileges of the North Central back to the region so that the region will not feel cheated in the scheme of things in the party and get discouraged as a result,” he said.

Zazzaga urged everyone in North Central, regardless of their inclinations toward politics, business, religion, or other groups, to work with the forum to support Ganduje’s removal so that a legitimate representative from the area may take Ganduje’s place.

Additionally, he announced that the North Central APC Forum’s lawsuit against Ganduje will be heard on May 30, 2024, and he urged all regional residents and interested parties to pray for the forum’s success.