Babagana Zulum, the governor of Borno State, has been requested by the North-Central All Progressives Congress, or APC, Forum to immediately apologize for reportedly inciting thugs against Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, the party’s national chairman, during the North-East stakeholders meeting in Gombe on Sunday.
After Ganduje and APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Comrade Mustapha Salihu, endorsed Tinubu for a second term without mentioning Shettima, Zulum allegedly organized a demonstration that interrupted the meeting.
Protests erupted at the meeting location, forcing Ganduje and Salihu to be hauled out under strict protection.
In response to the situation, the North-Central APC Forum criticized Zulum’s actions and accused him of inciting thugs against the APC national chairman in a statement released on Monday by its chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga.
The Forum also supported Ganduje’s move, pointing out that the Vice President, who serves as his running mate in the presidential race, may only be nominated by the President.
The president has the right to choose who will be his vice president, according to the statement. President Bola Tinubu is free to designate anybody he believes he can collaborate with as his vice president; no one will compel him to do so.
We denounce the actions of Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, who organized thugs to assault National Chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje. Ganduje is innocent; he was carrying out his constitutionally mandated responsibilities as the national chairman of his party.
“The national chairman is not in charge of choosing a vice president. Furthermore, he has no obligation to support any candidate for vice president. At the North-East stakeholders meeting, he demonstrated his neutrality, which is expected of him as a party official.
The North-Central APC Forum is requesting an apology from the Governor of Borno State for inciting thugs to attack the National Chairman. Governor Babagana Zulum ought to offer Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje an apology right away.
“We are not pleased with the governor of Borno State’s actions as stakeholders who are dedicated to the party’s growth and advancement.”
In addition to denouncing Zulum’s behavior, the Forum pointed out that the North-East and the Borno governor have no right to demand any special treatment inside the APC because the region failed to provide Tinubu and the party with the anticipated outcomes in the 2023 election.
The statement argues that the North-Central, which supported President Tinubu and the APC in the most recent election, ought to be the one to demand preferential treatment instead of the North-East.
Even though the vice president hails from the North-East, it is documented that the opposition prevailed there in 2023. After the North-West and the South-West, the North-Central region provided the APC and Tinubu with the third-highest number of votes.
Therefore, the statement went on to say, “If any zone should feel entitled to special considerations, it is definitely not the North-East, which makes Governor Babagana Zulum’s action even more unfortunate.”
According to a breakdown of the 2023 presidential election results, Tinubu received the most votes from the South-West. The South-West gave the president 2,542, 979 votes, or 58.4 percent of the total votes cast in the area.
In the zone, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) received 849,423 votes (19.5%), while Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) received 951,941 votes (22.6%).
Atiku received 2,197,824 votes (33.9%), Kwankwaso received 1,268,250 votes (19.6%), and Tinubu received 2,652,235 votes (41.0%) in the North-West.
Tinubu garnered 1,760,993 votes (41.3%), Obi 1,415,557 votes (33.2%), and Atiku 1,025,178 votes (24.1%) in the North-Central.
Atiku received the most votes in the Northeast, nevertheless, with 1,741,846 (54.9%), while Tinubu came in second with 933,176 (29.9%).
The APC received 252,282 votes in Borno State, the home state of Zulum and Shettima, while the PDP came in second with 190,921.
Speaking further on Ganduje’s alleged failure to endorse the vice president, the North-Central APC Forum said 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.
The Muslim-Muslim APC ticket was chosen as a tactic to win the 2023 election, the Forum clearly mentioned.
When President Bola Tinubu runs for reelection in 2027, it’s probable that a Muslim-Muslim ticket won’t be the best choice anymore. Party leaders will also consider the potential source of a greater number of votes. The interests of the parties, not the self-serving interests of individuals, should guide the consideration of all these concerns.
“Mr. President is aware of what is best for the party, and we will support his choice when it is made. The statement said, “We also expect all party members to support the President’s decision, regardless of their personal interests or position of authority.”
The Forum also refuted rumors that the move marks the start of an APC crisis in response to the demonstrations that followed the Gombe North-East stakeholders conference.
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“What transpired at the North-East stakeholders meeting in Gombe is a singular occurrence that won’t have an impact on the overall situation within our wonderful party. Under the skillful leadership of President Bola Tinubu and National Chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, the APC, a progressive party, is a powerful institution that will not falter.
“We implore all party supporters 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. We have faith that the party will continue to be strong and cohesive,” the statement added.
Similarly, the Forum reiterated its support for President Tinubu as the APC’s only candidate in the 2027 election. It also reiterated the party’s vote of confidence in Ganduje as its national chairman.
“The APC is safe in the hands of President Bola Tinubu and Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, and we urge all members to refrain from any actions that could cause confusion and divert Mr. President and the national chairman from the excellent work they are doing in the party and the country at large,” the statement continued.
In a similar spirit, the Forum reiterated its commitment to secure six million North-Central votes for Tinubu in 2027.
