VP Endorsement: North-Central APC Accuses Zulum of Mobilizing Thugs Against Ganduje

During the North-East stakeholders conference in Gombe on Sunday, Babagana Zulum, the governor of Borno State, was accused of organizing thugs against the party’s national chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje. The North-Central All Progressives Congress, or APC, Forum has called for Zulum to immediately apologize.

The meeting was apparently interrupted by a protest led by ZulumVP Endorsement: North-Central APC Accuses Zulum of Mobilizing Thugs Against Ganduje after Ganduje and Comrade Mustapha Salihu, the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), endorsed Tinubu for a second term without mentioning Shettima.

As demonstrations erupted at the meeting location, Ganduje and Salihu had to be escorted out under strict security.

The North-Central APC Forum criticized Zulum’s actions and accused him of inciting thugs against the APC national chairman in a statement released Monday by its chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, in response to the situation.

As the Vice President is the President’s running mate in the presidential election, only the President has the authority to designate the Vice President, the Forum further supported Ganduje’s decision.

“The president has the right to choose who will be his vice president,” the statement stated. The choice of President Bola Tinubu’s vice president will be left up to him; no one will pressure him to select someone he believes he can collaborate with.

The governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, organized thugs to attack National Chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, a move that we strongly condemn. Ganduje is innocent; as the national chairman of his party, he was carrying out his constitutionally mandated responsibilities.

Nominating a vice president is not the national chairman’s duty. Furthermore, it is not his duty to support a candidate for vice president. In his capacity as a party official, he demonstrated his neutrality during the North-East stakeholders meeting.

We, the North-Central APC Forum, are requesting an apology from the Borno State Governor for inciting thugs to attack the National President. Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje should receive an apology from Governor Babagana Zulum right away.

As interested parties dedicated to the party’s growth and advancement, we are dissatisfied with the Borno State governor’s actions.

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Zulum’s move was further denounced by the Forum, which also pointed out that the North-East and the Borno governor have no right to receive special treatment inside the APC because the region failed to produce the anticipated outcomes for Tinubu and the party in the 2023 election.

It said that instead of the North-East, the North-Central, which voted more for the APC and President Tinubu in the last election, should be the one requesting preferential treatment.

The vice president is from the North-East, yet it is documented that the opposition triumphed there in 2023. With the North-West and South-West receiving the most votes, the APC and Tinubu received the third-highest number from the North-Central.

The statement went on to say, “It is clear that the North-East should not feel entitled to special considerations, which makes Governor Babagana Zulum’s action even more unfortunate.”

The South-West delivered Tinubu the most votes, according to a breakdown of the 2023 presidential election results. With 2,542, 979 votes, the President received 58.4 percent of the vote in the South-West.

The Labour Party’s (LP) Peter Obi received 849,423 votes (19.5%) in the zone, while Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) received 951,941 votes (22.6%).

In the North-West, Kwankwaso received 1,268,250 votes (19.6%), Atiku received 2,197,824 votes (33.9%), and Tinubu received 2,652,235 votes (41.0%).

Atiku received 1,025,178 votes (24.1%), Obi 1,415,557 votes (33.2%), and Tinubu 1,760,993 votes (41.3%) in the North-Central.

But Atiku received the most votes in the Northeast, 1,741,846 (54.9%), while Tinubu received 933,176 (29.9%), a far cry from the leader.

Zulum and Shettima’s state, Borno State, saw the APC receive 252,282 votes, while the PDP came in second with 190,921.

Further addressing Ganduje’s alleged failure to endorse the vice president, the North-Central APC Forum noted that Shettima’s selection as Tinubu’s running mate in 2023 was predicated on political calculations that might not hold true in the upcoming election.

In order to win the 2023 election, the Forum pointed out that the Muslim-Muslim APC ticket was chosen.

The best option might no longer be a Muslim-Muslim ticket when President Bola Tinubu runs for reelection in 2027. Additionally, the leaders of the party will consider the sources of a greater number of votes. It is important to consider the interests of the parties involved in these matters rather than the self-serving interests of individuals.

“The President is aware of what is best for the party, and we respect his judgment when it is made. “We also expect all party members to support the President’s decision, regardless of their personal interests or position,” the statement read.

The Forum further responded to the demonstrations that followed the Gombe North-East stakeholders meeting by rejecting rumors that the event marks the start of an APC crisis.

“What transpired in Gombe during the North-East stakeholders conference is a singular occurrence that won’t have an impact on the overall situation within our outstanding party. Under President Bola Tinubu and National Chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje’s skillful leadership, the APC, a progressive party, is a powerful institution that won’t falter.

“We implore all party members to maintain composure and concentrate on the goal at hand, which is to achieve a decisive win in the 2027 election and the off-cycle polls. The statement went on to say, “We have faith that the party will continue to be robust and cohesive.”

In a similar spirit, the Forum reiterated its support for President Tinubu as the APC’s only election candidate in 2027. The vote of confidence that Ganduje received as the party’s national chairman was also reiterated.

The statement also said, “The APC is in good hands with President Bola Tinubu and Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje in the saddle. We urge all members to refrain from any actions that could confuse the situation and divert Mr. President and the national chairman’s attention from the outstanding work they are doing in the party and the nation at large.”

In keeping with this, the Forum reiterated its commitment to obtain six million North-Central votes for Tinubu in 2027.