Ahead of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) slated for September 12, the APC North Central Forum has alleged that some forces have recruited some individuals and groups to betray the region by endorsing the embattled national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje.
In a statement issued in Jos, the Plateau State capital, yesterday by the forum’s chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, he said the desperation of the dark forces of the North Central region is already showing through their greed and insensitivity in betraying the region in terms of the position of the national chairmanship position of the party.
According to Zazzaga, the North Central region will not be deterred by the action of the few betrayers, and will not compromise anything or stop at nothing to clinch back the national chairmanship position of the APC which has been arranged by the party to be in the region.
The chairman said the role played by the North Central region in the success of the APC since 2015 cannot be overemphasized, including the role the region played in the emergence of President Bola Tinubu in 2023, stressing that the region was also able to clinch five of the governorship seats in the six states of the region.
“Therefore, the endorsement of Ganduje on Monday by a former President of the Senate, Ameh Ebute, who claims to be representing some APC elders from the Central APC for Ganduje to remain as the party’s national chairman is laughable and inconsequential.”
According to him, Ebute happens to be the most unpopular Senate president who only spent three months and nothing notable was done by him, neither is he known for any achievement.
“The endorsement which comes four days after the North Central Governors’ Forum, led by the Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule, who also endorsed Ganduje is only showing the selfishness of some of the people from the region who are only doing things for their personal interest and not the interest of the region and its people.
He pointed out that this is because there is no way someone or a group will claim to be from a region and at the same time will be doing things inimical to the progress and interest of the region.
“First, Senator Ameh Ebute from Benue State is a spent force who has no relevance even in his state. As an Idoma man, who has he ever mentored or produced as leader in his community? Not even a councilor. It is the same confusion he is causing in Benue State APC that he is being brought to North Central to cause, but we won’t allow him.
“Besides, Ebute is a lone ranger traversing his lonely political space with no company whatsoever. He is just an indigent stooge, clearly speaking the words of his paymasters to betray his geopolitical zone for a paltry bowl of porridge.
“And as for governor Sule, we have already addressed him over the weekend and everyone can see clearly his betrayal tendencies and selfish moves. We are giving him one week to apologise to the people of North Central for his action otherwise we will begin to mobilize our party faithful and supporters against him.
“And regarding the statement yesterday by the Senior Special Assistant to the embattled National Chairman on Public Enlightenment, one Chief Oliver Okpala, we won’t want to dignify him with any response as he is not from our region and does not understand our struggle.”