The North-Central Forum of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has reiterated its unwavering commitment to the party, vowing to continue advocating for the interests of the zone despite internal disagreements.
This declaration follows allegations by the APC National Vice Chairman (North-Central), Muazu Bawa Rijau, who claimed that certain “faceless” support groups were being sponsored to attack the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
In a statement co-signed by Rijau and the North-Central Zonal Secretary, Yakubu Adamu, the party chieftains warned that any attempt to undermine the SGF would no longer be tolerated.
Although the APC North-Central Forum was not directly named in Rijau’s statement, the group has previously criticized Akume over alleged lopsided appointments and failure to adequately represent the zone. The Forum had also accused the SGF of sponsoring attacks against Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, warning that such tensions could weaken the party’s hold on the state.
Responding to Rijau’s remarks in a statement on Sunday, the APC North-Central Forum, led by Chairman Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, insisted that no amount of intimidation would deter its mission to strengthen the party.
“Nobody can stop us from fighting for the good of the APC in the North-Central and the nation as a whole,” the Forum declared. “The party belongs to its members, not just a few self-serving officials.”
The Forum also noted that Rijau was not an APC member at the time of its registration as an official support group. It highlighted its role in advocating for a North-Central politician to replace the current APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, in line with the party’s zoning arrangement—an agitation the group temporarily suspended.
“When the North-Central APC Forum was fighting for the chairmanship position to return to the zone, Rijau remained silent,” the statement read. “When there was an orchestrated move to push out the only Christian APC governor in North-Central, Rijau did not speak up. But now that we are calling for unity and protection of party interests in Benue, he has found his voice.”
Emphasizing its stance, the Forum asserted that it remains a collective of “genuine and sincere” party stakeholders committed to the progress of the North-Central region. It urged Rijau to adopt a neutral stance and work towards fostering unity rather than taking sides in intra-party disputes.
“The North-Central APC Forum has never been divisive. Our concerns have always been constructive, aimed at strengthening the party, not causing disunity,” the statement concluded.
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