APC zones national chair to North-west

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned the party’s national chairmanship position to the North-west geopolitical zone.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, disclosed this shortly after the NEC meeting held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mr Morka said the decision was taken at the NEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu and the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje.

In August 2023, Mr Ganduje was appointed as the party chairman by the National Working Committee (NWC) after the July 2023 resignation of Abdullahi Adamu as the chairman of the party.

Mr Adamu had emerged as the party’s national chairman in 2022 and was supposed to serve until 2026 before his resignation.

Mr Adamu hails from Nasarawa State in the North-central zone, while Mr Ganduje is from Kano State in the North-west zone.

Decision ends North-central agitation

NEC’s decision to zone the chairmanship position is seen in some quarters as mere confirmation of Mr Ganduje’s occupation of the position.

It may also puts an end to the agitation by the party’s faithful in the North-central for the return of the position to the zone.

In the current APC power-sharing arrangement, the North-west zone officially has three key positions, namely the Speaker of the House of Representatives, deputy senate president and the national chairman.

The president, Bola Tinubu is from the South-west zone, his deputy, Kashim Shettima hails from the North-east, Senate President Godswill Akpabio from the South-south while the Deputy Speaker is from the South-east zone.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, is the highest-ranking political office holder from the North-central zone.

Former party chairmen and their zones

The party’s first national chairman, Bisi Akande, is from the South-west zone. He served from 2013 to 2014.

John Odigie-Oyegun from the South-south, emerged the party’s chairman in 2014 and served until 2018.

Adams Oshiomole succeeded Mr Odigie-Oyegun in 2018 and served until 2020 when the party’s internal wrangling in Mr Oshiomole’s home state of Edo led to his removal from office.

From 2020-2022, Mala Buni, now governor of Yobe State, in the North-east geopolitical zone, served as the party’s caretaker chairman.

In 2022, Abdullahi Adamu, from the North-central geopolitical zone emerged the party’s national chairman. He resigned in 2023, paving the way for Mr Ganduje’s emergence as chairman.