The Northcentral geopolitical zone, which has been agitating for the chairmanship of the All Progressives Congress (APC), may finally reclaim the position today, sources revealed last night.
Under the party’s original zoning arrangement, the Northcentral was allotted the national chairmanship — a role previously held by Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who led the APC to its 2023 presidential victory. However, Adamu’s resignation in August 2023 paved the way for Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the Northwest to assume the role.
Following Ganduje’s resignation on June 27, reportedly due to health reasons, renewed calls from the Northcentral zone for the chairmanship have gained traction. It is believed that recent consultations and meetings among party stakeholders may have settled on returning the position to the zone.
Top on the shortlist is Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, though this has yet to be officially confirmed. Yilwatda, the APC’s 2023 governorship candidate in Plateau State, is a respected academic and engineer who served as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Benue State between 2017 and 2021.
After a closed-door meeting between the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) and President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Imo State Governor and PGF Chairman, Hope Uzodimma, disclosed that today’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting would focus primarily on the appointment of a new national chairman.
“We came as a group to formally commiserate with the President over the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari and to discuss the upcoming NEC meeting of our party,” Uzodimma told reporters.
He added: “The NEC may delegate its powers to the National Working Committee (NWC) on the ratification of the schedule for congresses, standing committees, and provide an update on the ongoing e-registration process across the 36 states.”
Notably, Uzodimma confirmed that the party’s National Caucus meeting — typically held before a NEC gathering — would not take place. He described the governors’ session with President Tinubu as a “convivial discussion” on strengthening party structures from the grassroots to the national level.
Asked whether a consensus candidate would emerge from the NEC meeting, Uzodimma remained cautious: “It is a NEC meeting; we cannot say what the outcome will be. When you come there tomorrow (today), you will see it.”
Meanwhile, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka announced that the NEC meeting venue had been shifted from the party’s secretariat to Aso Villa, scheduled for 10 a.m.
On the eve of the NEC session, APC governors, state chairmen, and NWC members engaged in strategic consultations. Led by Governor Uzodimma, the meeting was attended by 22 governors and deputy governors from Katsina and Akwa Ibom states.
Attendees included NGF Chairman AbdulRasak AbdulRahman (Kwara), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Monday Okpebholo (Edo), Bassey Otu (Cross River), Nasir Idris (Kebbi), Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Usman Ododo (Kogi), Senator Uba Sani (Kaduna), and Umar Bago (Niger), among others.