The North-Central All Progressives Congress, APC, Discussion board has mentioned it regrets pushing for the appointment of an individual from the area as nationwide chairman of the APC.
The place of APC nationwide chairman was zoned to the North-Central on the social gathering’s conference in 2022, resulting in the emergence of ex-Nasarawa governor Adamu Abdullahi. However following his resignation in 2023 with out finishing the tenure, Abdullahi Ganduje, a former governor of Kano State within the North-West was appointed the social gathering’s nationwide chairman.
The North-Central APC Discussion board – a bunch of APC stakeholders from the North-Central states – launched into a marketing campaign to return the place to the zone. The Discussion board staged protests, held rallies, organised sequence of press conferences, issued statements and wrote to organs of the social gathering, notably the Progressive Governors Discussion board, over the matter.
Finally, on July 24, 2025, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, from Plateau State within the North-Central, was appointed the social gathering’s nationwide chairman.
Nevertheless, the North-Central APC Discussion board has mentioned it’s dissatisfied with Yilwatda’s efficiency, noting that he has not demonstrated the capability to steer the social gathering. The Discussion board equally accused the APC nationwide chairman of selling a non secular agenda, and utilizing the workplace to advance his egocentric political pursuits in Plateau State.
The North-Central APC Discussion board spoke in an announcement launched on Sunday in Abuja by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga. The assertion got here after a video clip confirmed Yilwatda, at a church service, saying he’s representing North-Central christians.
Condemning Yilwatda’s conduct, the APC Discussion board prolonged apologies to all these it wronged whereas agitating for the return of the social gathering’s nationwide chairmanship place to the North-Central.
Elements of the assertion learn, “We, the North-Central APC Discussion board, remorse our agitation for the return of the place of APC nationwide chairman to the North-Central area. We hereby apologize to social gathering leaders who we wronged in the middle of the agitation. We’re apologizing to Mr President, we’re apologizing to former nationwide chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje and we apologize to different leaders of the social gathering.
“We got here to this resolution as a result of the one that was appointed as APC nationwide chairman from the North-Central, following our agitation, has not displayed the competence to deal with such a delicate place and lead the social gathering to larger heights. He has proven that he’s not competent sufficient to unite the individuals of the North-Central.
“The North-Central is a secular area however the nationwide chairman has been seen to be taking a sectional non secular place on delicate points. We have now seen a viral video clip the place he mentioned he’s representing the Christians of the North-Central. That is opposite to each social gathering and nationwide rules. Furthermore, such a stand is towards the management of this nation.
“Having thought-about these points, we have now determined to apologize for demanding that someone from the North-Central must be made the nationwide chairman of the APC. We remorse our actions. We spent one 12 months in courtroom, we spent one 12 months and 6 months, and plenty of assets, agitating for that place to return to North-Central, which on the finish of the day Mr President and leaders of the social gathering heard our cry.
“We’re apologizing as a result of we have been the one group concerned within the agitation.”
The APC Discussion board famous that Yilwatda lacks the required political expertise to occupy the place of social gathering nationwide chairman, having by no means been elected whilst a delegate or councillor.
The North-Central APC stakeholders urged President Tinubu to nominate a extra competent particular person, from any zone, as nationwide chairman in December 2025, when the social gathering initially scheduled a nationwide conference.
The assertion added, “However sadly, the place was given to someone that doesn’t perceive politics – someone that has not been in politics for lengthy. He’s nearly three years in politics. He has by no means been elected, whilst a delegate or councillor. So he’s not supposed to carry that huge place. He doesn’t know how you can discuss, he doesn’t know how you can unite the individuals. His dealing with of the place has scattered the unity social gathering members have been having fun with in Plateau State and the North-Central.
“We equally attraction to Mr President to, in December, transfer the place of APC nationwide chairman to every other zone, so long as the particular person chosen is competent and might assure the social gathering’s victory. Even when the conference doesn’t maintain in December as deliberate, we urge Mr President to nominate a reliable particular person from any zone to steer the social gathering.”
The Discussion board harassed that not having the nationwide chairman from the zone wouldn’t have an effect on its promise to ship six million votes to Tinubu from the North-Central in 2027.
“The North-Central has sufficient positions to maintain the social gathering within the zone, together with the Secretary to the Authorities of the Federation and the Lawyer-Basic of the Federation. We even have the North-Central Growth Fee. We don’t want the place of APC nationwide chairman to ship votes for Mr President in 2027. We have now already promised Mr President that we’ll ship and we are going to fulfill our promise.”
In the identical vein, the APC Discussion board mentioned Yilwatda is behind the opposition to Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s doable defection to the APC. The Discussion board has been championing a marketing campaign to persuade Muftwang to dump the Peoples Democratic Social gathering, PDP, for the APC. However the management of the APC in Plateau State has been opposing the transfer, passing a decision to reject the governor’s coming.
The Discussion board mentioned Yilwatda is obstructing Mutfwang due to his intention to contest the Plateau governorship election in 2027. Yilwatda was APC gubernatorial candidate in Plateau in 2023, however misplaced to Muftwang, of the PDP.
The North-Central APC Discussion board instructed Yilwatda to resign as social gathering nationwide chairman and face his governorship ambition. Yilwatda was additionally accused of utilizing his place to discredit the North-Central APC Discussion board’s certificates, issued since 2018, as a celebration help group.
“The nationwide chairman desires to contest Plateau State governorship election once more in 2027, that’s why he’s blocking Governor Caleb Mutfwang from becoming a member of the social gathering. He’s sponsoring individuals to assault us as a result of we’re calling on Muftwang to defect to APC, which we consider is in the very best curiosity of the social gathering.
“So we’re additionally asking the nationwide chairman to step down from the place and focus on his ambition to contest the Plateau State governorship seat in 2027. If he’s a real chief he mustn’t block individuals from coming in to strengthen the social gathering,” the assertion added.
