The North Central Forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reaffirmed its dedication to the party and expressed its determination to continue advocating for its interests, particularly within the region.
Naija News reports that this renewed pledge from the forum follows allegations made by the party’s National Vice Chairman for North-Central, Muazu Bawa Rijau, who claimed that certain unidentified support groups are being funded to undermine the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
In a statement co-signed with North-Central Zonal Secretary Yakubu Adamu on Saturday, Rijau cautioned against any actions targeting the SGF and asserted that such behaviour will no longer be tolerated.
While Rijau did not mention it, the APC North-Central Forum has previously criticized the SGF for perceived imbalances in appointments and for not adequately representing the North-Central region.
Additionally, the forum has accused the SGF of backing individuals attacking Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, expressing concerns that the deteriorating relationship between them could jeopardize the APC’s standing in Benue State against opposition forces.
Responding to Rijau’s allegation in a statement on Sunday, the forum said, “Nobody can stop us from fighting for the good of the APC in the North-Central and the nation as a whole.”
“The party belongs to the members and not just some few self-serving officials. We are not afraid,” it added.
In the statement by its Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, a member of the APC presidential campaign in the 2023 election, the APC North Central Forum noted that Rijau had not joined the APC when the group was registered as a recognized support group in the party.
The APC Forum, he said, had been championing the agitation for the North-Central to be allowed to produce the party’s national chairman in line with the zoning arrangement.
The agitation led the Forum to demand the removal or resignation of APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and his replacement with somebody from the North-Central. The North-Central APC Forum eventually suspended the call for Ganduje’s removal.
“Rijau was not even a member of the APC when the North-Central APC Forum was registered as a support group of the party.
“When the North-Central APC Forum was fighting the national chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, insisting that he should resign or be removed to pave way for somebody from the North-Central to take over, the vice chairman North-Central did not make any comment on the agitation.
“When there was an orchestrated move to strategically push the Benue State governor – the only Christian APC governor in North-Central Nigeria – Rijau never made any comment.
“And today that the North-Central APC Forum came up to save the party from chaos by insisting that whosoever, irrespective of how highly placed they are, that are maligning the governor of Benue State, that such should stop and that Mr President should take decisive action against such individuals, Rijau has come out to talk,” he said.
The statement emphasized that the Forum, representing a group of genuine and sincere APC stakeholders, is advocating for the welfare of the North-Central region and will not be coerced into permitting “self-serving political leaders to hinder the advancement of the area.”
The statement further read: “As the vice chairman of North-Central, he should not take sides or be part of anything that could destabilize the APC in the zone. He should accommodate all interests and broker peace when there are disagreements.
“The North-Central APC Forum has never taken sides on any issue, rather, we have been a voice of reason, calling for calm and unity in the interest of the party in the zone. Even our criticism of the actions of the SGF was not disrespectful, it was constructive.”
