The governors of the North-Central zone elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are currently divided over the call for the resignation of the national chairman of the party, Dr. Abdulahi Ganduje.
Investigation revealed that the governors from the region are polarised as some — especially first term governors are indifferent towards the agitation for return of the office to the zone.
TheHintsNews reports that since the emergence of Ganduje, stakeholders from the North-Central have been up in arms calling on the ruling party to take back the position where it was originally zoned.
Last Thursday some of the chieftains of the party under the aegis of North-Central APC Stakeholders Stormed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja in protests demanding Ganduje’s resignation.
There has been no respite for Ganduje who hails from North-west as stakeholders from the North-Central continued to mount pressure following the ouster of former Chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu who is from the region.
The provisions of APC constitution, Article 31.5(i) stipulates that a successor to an ousted National Chairman of the APC must come from his region.
“In the case of a National/Zonal Officer, the State Executive Committee shall propose a replacement to the State Congress and Zonal Executive Committee for endorsement. Thereafter, the name shall be sent to the National Working Committee, which shall forward same to the National Executive Committee for approval,” it reads.
However, as part of effort to mitigate the discontentment and seething anger against Ganduje by chieftains of his party from North-Central geopolitical zone, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume recently revealed that President Bola Tinubu would make more strategic appointments for the region to address perceived lopsidedness.
Amidst the agitation for his ouster, a party source revealed that the party national chairman was leaving nothing to chance to retain his seat.
The party source cited first term governors of Benue, Kogi and Niger as fence sitters who are wary of the likely effect of the agitation on their second term bid since Ganduje is anointed candidate of the President.
The source also recalled that some of the chieftains of the party from the zone recently pledged loyalty to Ganduje.