The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has accused Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, of masterminding an alleged attack on the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, during a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe State.
The group is now calling on Governor Zulum to issue an immediate public apology, citing what it described as an “unprovoked political ambush” against the APC leadership.
The incident reportedly took place during a high-level North-East stakeholders’ meeting on Sunday, where Ganduje and the party’s National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, publicly endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term. The endorsement, however, did not sit well with some attendees, particularly over the apparent exclusion of Vice President Kashim Shettima from the conversation.
According to eyewitnesses, the situation quickly escalated into chaos, forcing security personnel to whisk Ganduje out of the venue under heavy guard.
In a statement released Monday by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the North-Central APC Forum condemned the violence and pointed fingers at Governor Zulum, accusing him of instigating the disruption by mobilizing political thugs.
“We strongly condemn Governor Zulum’s alleged role in organizing the attack on our National Chairman. Such actions undermine the unity of our party and threaten its democratic foundation,” the statement read.
The Forum maintained that Ganduje acted within his constitutional responsibilities and emphasized that decisions regarding the Vice Presidency lie solely with the President.
“The power to nominate a Vice President rests entirely with the President. It is inappropriate and unfair to target the National Chairman for simply reaffirming the President’s leadership,” Zazzaga added.
The Forum also pushed back against suggestions that the North-East region deserves preferential treatment in future party decisions, arguing that the zone underperformed in the 2023 elections. It pointed to the North-Central’s stronger electoral showing as a basis for its claim to greater influence.
Election data from 2023 shows that Tinubu secured fewer votes in the North-East compared to the North-Central. In Borno State, Tinubu’s home turf along with Shettima, the APC received just over 252,000 votes, while the PDP followed closely behind with 190,000. In contrast, the North-Central delivered over 1.7 million votes to the APC, making it one of the party’s strongest regions.
The group further suggested that the party must reevaluate its strategic positioning ahead of 2027, including its controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“The dynamics of 2023 may not apply in 2027,” the Forum stated. “As a party, we must remain flexible and prioritize what strengthens our electoral chances, not personal ambitions.”
Despite the uproar, the Forum dismissed speculations that the Gombe incident signals deeper fractures within the APC. It insisted that the party remains solidly behind Tinubu and Ganduje, and urged members to remain united as preparations for the 2027 elections gather pace.
“We are confident that our party will emerge stronger from this. The focus now is to consolidate and deliver six million votes from the North-Central in 2027,”
-Zazzaga concluded.
