Politics
APC Leadership Tussle: N’Central Forum Frowns At Gov Sule’s Support For Ganduje
The North Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has condemned the endorsement of the embattled National Chairman of the party, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, by the Chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum and Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule.
Speaking with newsmen on Saturday at the forum’s headquarters in Jos, the Plateau State capital, the Chairman of the Forum, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, said the courtesy visit Governor Sule paid to the party secretariat in Abuja on Friday to pledge his support for Dr Ganduje was for selfish and personal interest and not the interest of the North Central region, the APC or the President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The chairman said such endorsement by Governor Sule, which came at a time when the party stakeholders from the region were pushing for the return of the National Chairmanship position to the North Central, was not only insensitive and mischievous, but also an act of betrayal of the entire region.
Alhaji Zazzaga, who was also a member of the Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 election, pointed out that Governor Sule was well aware that the National Chairmanship position, according to the party arrangement and zoning, ought to be for the North Central after the resignation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who is not only from the North Central region but also from Governor Sule’s own state of Nasarawa.
For Governor Sule to openly come out and betray his state and the entire region shows that he is someone who is not after the progress of his own state, the North Central region, and he is not a man of equity and justice, Alhaji Zazzaga stressed.
He also alleged that, from the outset, Governor Sule did not support President Tinubu and did everything to halt his emergence as the APC presidential candidate, because he (Governor Sule) was nursing a vice presidential ambition with another APC presidential candidate.
“Governor Sule is not a founding member of the APC because he came in along the line, and so he does not understand the progressive ideology and drive of the party.
“That is why he is doing things that are contrary to the concept of the party stakeholders, chieftains, bigwigs and members, as well as supporters.
“Besides we all know that in the 2023 election, the APC in Nasarawa State didn’t perform satisfactorily under Governor Sule; this is obvious in the number of the legislative seats that were won by the party and as well as the ones the opposition parties clinched.
“It is also a known fact that Governor Sule didn’t do well also at the 2023 polls, and if not for the judiciary which upheld his election, anything could have happened and APC would have lost the state.
“By and large, what has been Governor Sule’s contribution to the progress of the APC since he joined the party? Again, what has been his development indices and strides in Nasarawa State? With the increase in allocation gotten by the states today, what has Nasarawa State been able to do or has to show under Governor Sule?
“And time and again, we have had grumblings in many quarters about the leadership style of Governor Sule in the state which many frown upon.
“Therefore, he is not a good ambassador of the party and he is, by no means, in a position to speak for the North Central region or stakeholders of the party,” he said.
Alhaji Zazzaga, therefore, called on all the North Central governors to disassociate themselves from Governor Sule’s endorsement of Dr Ganduje immediately, stressing that whatever he was doing was for his selfish interest and not the interest of the North Central region.
“Moreover, we all know that Governor Sule is not a firm supporter of President Bola Tinubu, and he will do anything to bring his administration to dispute, and endorsing Ganduje is one of such, since Ganduje has already incurred legal liabilities and other disaffections for the party as the National Chairman.
“And even the Edo and Ondo elections, which Ganduje’s leadership produced the APC flag bearers, could be another mistake as he lacked the legitimacy to do that as his position is being contested and unrecognized. And so his action in Edo and Ondo could be another future legal liability,” he added.
In a timetable issued by its National Secretariat in Abuja and signed by the National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, the party said the activities were in line with provisions of its constitution guiding the election of party officials across all tiers.
According to the schedule, membership e-registration began on January 31 and ended on February 8, while notices of congresses were dispatched to state and Federal Capital Territory chapters on February 2.
Submission of nomination forms for ward and local government congresses closed on February 9, followed by screening and appeals between February 10 and February 14.
Ward congresses are fixed for February 18, with appeals the following day, while local government congresses will take place on February 21 and appeals on February 23.
At the state level, purchase of forms for state executive positions will run from February 22 to February 25, with screening set for February 27–28 and appeals from March 1–2. State congresses are scheduled for March 3, and appeals on March 4.
Activities leading to zonal congresses and the national convention include purchase and submission of forms between March 12 and March 16, inauguration of screening committees on March 23, and screening of aspirants on March 24. Zonal congresses across the six geo-political zones are slated for March 25, with appeals on March 26.
The party’s national convention will hold from March 27 to March 28.The APC also published fees for expression of interest and nomination forms across the different tiers.
At the ward level, expression of interest costs ?5,000, while nomination forms range from ?15,000 to ?20,000 depending on the position. For local government positions, nomination forms range from ?50,000 to ?100,000 after a ?10,000 expression-of-interest fee.
State executive positions attract ?50,000 for expression of interest, with nomination forms pegged at ?1 million for chairman and ?500,000 for other offices. Zonal offices require ?100,000 expression of interest and ?200,000 for nomination.
For national positions, the fees rise significantly, with expression of interest set at ?100,000. Nomination forms cost ?10 million for national chairman, ?7.5 million for deputy national chairmen and national secretary, ?5 million for other offices, and ?250,000 for National Executive Committee membership.
The party noted that female aspirants, youths and persons living with disabilities would pay only the expression-of-interest fee and 50 per cent of nomination costs. It also clarified that Ekiti, Osun, Rivers states and the FCT are excluded from ward, local government and state congresses, but will participate in electing delegates to the national convention.
Forms are to be completed online after payment verification, with payments directed to designated APC accounts at Zenith Bank and United Bank for Africa.
The congress cycle is expected to determine new party leadership structures ahead of future electoral activities.
The Tide source reports that the committee, reportedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, is making moves to reclaim the Wadata Plaza headquarters months after it was sealed following a violent clash between rival factions of the party.
Senior officers at the FCT Police Command told our source that while they had not received an official briefing, police personnel would be stationed at the secretariat and other key locations to maintain peace.
The Acting National Secretary of the Mohammed-led committee, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, announced last week that the secretariat would reopen for official activities on Monday (today).
He dismissed claims that ongoing litigation would prevent the reopening, saying, “There are no legal barriers preventing the caretaker committee from resuming work at the party’s headquarters.”
However, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) has fiercely rejected the reopening move, insisting that Sen. Anyanwu and his group remain expelled from the PDP and have no authority to act on its behalf.
Speaking with The Tide source, the committee’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, declared: “They are living in fool’s paradise. The worst form of deceit is self-deceit, where the person knows he is deceiving himself yet continues with gusto.
“Even INEC, which they claim has recognised them, has denied them. They are indulging in a roller coaster of self-deceit.”
Mr Ememobong further revealed that letters had been sent to both the Inspector-General of Police and the FCT Commissioner of Police, stressing that the matter was still in court and warning against any attempt to “resort to self-help.”
“The case pending before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik was instituted by the expelled members. They cannot resort to self-help until judgment is delivered,” he said.
He warned that reopening the secretariat would amount to contempt of court.
A senior officer at the FCT Police Command, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that officers would be deployed to the area to avert a repeat of the November 19 violence that led to the secretariat’s initial closure.
“The command would not stand by and allow a breakdown of peace and order by the party or anyone else. Definitely, the police will have to be on the ground,” he said.
Another officer added, “There will definitely be men present at the secretariat, but I can’t say the number of police officers that would be deployed.”
When contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said she had not been briefed on the planned reopening and declined to comment on whether officers would be deployed.
Asked to confirm whether the secretariat was initially sealed by police, she responded, “Yes,” but refused to say more about the current deployment plans.
The Kano State House of Assembly has debunked the purported impeachment plan against the Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo.
The Tide source recalls that the Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, recently sparked controversy during an interview session with a local radio station.
Mr Waiya called on the deputy governor to resign for failing to follow his principal, Gov. Abba Yusuf, in defecting from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the spokesperson to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kamaluddeen Shawai, while addressing journalists in Kano on Saturday, described reports circulating in some media outlets about Mr Gwarzo’s impeachment as baseless and misleading, emphasising that no such plan is underway.
Mr Shawai further stated that the House remains focused on its legislative duties and oversight functions rather than engaging in speculative political manoeuvres.
The spokesperson urged members of the public and the media to verify information before sharing it, stressing the importance of accurate reporting in maintaining political stability in the state.
He said, “There is absolutely no motion or initiative within the House to remove the deputy governor.
“These reports are false and should be disregarded by the public. The deputy governor continues to serve in his capacity with full support from the House.
“Our priority is good governance and serving the people of Kano, not circulating rumours.”
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