APC NORTH CENTRAL STAKEHOLDERS REJECTS ALLEGED VOTE OF CONFIDENCE ON GANDUJE.
Prominent stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North Central geopolitical zone have strongly refuted claims that the region has endorsed the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to remain in office.
Reacting to a recent media interview granted by Saleh Zazzaga, the self-proclaimed Chairman of the APC North Central Stakeholders Forum, Garba Ndayako, an APC member from Niger State, described the reports as misleading, self-serving, and the handiwork of mischief-makers acting on behalf of their paymasters.
Ndayako categorically dismissed the existence of the so-called APC North Central Stakeholders Forum, stating that Zazzaga’s claims to leadership within the region are baseless. He asserted that Zazzaga was never elected as a leader or spokesperson for the North Central zone and accused him of acting on behalf of external interests seeking to frustrate the region’s legitimate claim to the party’s national chairmanship.
According to Ndayako, the North Central geopolitical zone has been marginalized, and any attempt to endorse Ganduje, who hails from the North West, contradicts the party’s power-sharing arrangement. He alleged that Zazzaga’s actions were motivated by personal gain and aimed at destabilizing the region’s efforts to reclaim the chairmanship position, which was previously held by Senator Abdullahi Adamu before his resignation.
Another stakeholder, Alexander Ubandoma from Nasarawa State, also condemned Zazzaga’s endorsement of Ganduje, describing it as a betrayal of the North Central zone’s rightful claim. He noted that the North West already holds key leadership positions in the National Assembly, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Senate President.
“We are aware of Zazzaga’s antics and those of his associates, who have positioned themselves as enemies of the North Central region within the party,” Ubandoma stated. “It is clear that financial inducements are at play, with certain individuals working to ensure that the North Central is denied its rightful position in the party leadership.”
Similarly, Usman Ojugbana, an APC member from Kogi State, questioned Zazzaga’s sudden change in stance. He recalled that Zazzaga had previously led the campaign to remove Ganduje in favour of a candidate from the North Central zone but has now reversed his position, raising suspicions of personal interests and financial transactions influencing his actions.
“It is baffling that Zazzaga, who was at the forefront of the call for Ganduje’s removal, is now passing a vote of confidence in him,” Ojugbana remarked. “This reversal suggests ulterior motives, particularly given Ganduje’s previous dismissal of Zazzaga as an imposter and a fraudster speaking on behalf of a non-existent group.”
” We are aware of all the antics of Saleh Zazzaga including the several nocturnal meetings he had with his cronies in different locations across the country and the money he collected aimed at supporting the continuation of Ganduje as the National Chairman of the party thereby frustrating the emergence of somebody from the North Central to replace him,” he alleged
Ojugbana warned that any attempt to retain Ganduje as the APC National Chairman at the expense of the North Central region would be met with strong resistance. He urged APC stakeholders across the region to remain steadfast and reject any move that undermines their rightful place in the party’s leadership structure.
“No amount of blackmail, intimidation, or character assassination will silence our demand for fairness,” Ojugbana emphasized. “Ganduje should step down and allow justice to prevail. The North Central zone will not relent in its quest for equity within the party.”
He further called on the public to disregard the purported vote of confidence in Ganduje, describing it as a calculated ploy by political opportunists seeking to entrench an unjust status quo.
