 Forum has stated that the region’s current control of the SGF office should not disqualify){kind=link}
The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has stated that the region’s current control of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) office should not disqualify it from producing the next APC National Chairman.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, on Saturday in Abuja.
This declaration follows growing speculations suggesting that since Senator George Akume from Benue State—part of the North-Central—is currently serving as SGF, the zone should forfeit any claim to the National Chairmanship role following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
Rejecting this stance, the Forum emphasized that the North-Central has a legitimate claim to both positions based on the party’s internal zoning arrangements and the region’s unwavering loyalty and contributions to the APC.
According to the statement, the North-Central region played a crucial role in APC’s 2023 presidential election victory. The region delivered 1,760,993 votes for President Bola Tinubu—representing 41.3% of the vote—making it the third highest after the South-West and North-West.
The Forum also highlighted that APC governs five out of the six states in the North-Central—Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, and Niger—indicating the party’s solid support base in the region.
The Forum emphasized that returning the National Chairmanship to the North-Central is not a favour but a fair reward based on APC’s internal zoning arrangements and the region’s loyalty and performance.
On religious considerations, the Forum condemned calls to reserve the chairmanship for a Christian from the North-Central. It described such proposals as divisive and warned that the region must not be drawn into sectarian politics.
“North-Central has always been a secular zone,” the statement said. “Those pushing a religious narrative are acting out of personal interest and did not support APC in the last election.”
It further alleged that some individuals behind the religious demands supported the Labour Party’s Peter Obi during the 2023 polls. The Forum called on President Tinubu to ignore such distractions and base future appointments on merit and track record.
As part of its recommendation, the Forum reaffirmed its endorsement of Senator Tanko Al-Makura, a former governor and senator from Nasarawa State, for the role of APC National Chairman.
According to the Forum, Al-Makura’s loyalty, experience, and background in the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc make him a unifying and credible candidate.
It noted that among the three legacy parties that formed the APC—the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), CPC, and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)—only the CPC bloc is yet to produce a National Chairman. Appointing Al-Makura would correct that imbalance.
The Forum also praised Al-Makura’s past service to the party, including his roles as Chairman of the APC Ekiti governorship primary committee (2018), North-East Reconciliation Committee (2018), and a member of the Bisi Akande Reconciliation Committee (2020).
It highlighted his acceptance of the consensus arrangement that led to the emergence of Abdullahi Adamu in 2022 as proof of his maturity and party loyalty.
Al-Makura’s political background spans decades: from Youth Leader in the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1979, State Secretary in the National Republican Convention in 1989, founding member of the PDP in 1999, to governor under CPC in 2011, and later APC senator in 2019.
The Forum stressed that he remained loyal to Tinubu and the APC even when some CPC bloc members attempted to join the opposition earlier in 2025.
The Forum maintained that competence and loyalty—not region or religion—should guide the choice of the next National Chairman, and that Al-Makura stands out as the most qualified candidate.