The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has declared that it will not form any coalition with the North-East and North-West zones ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This decision was announced on Saturday 1st February 2024 by the forum’s chairman Alh. Salleh Zazzaga, amidst speculations that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former governors Nasir El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi, and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi are planning to join forces against President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
According to the North-Central APC Forum, the zone’s decision is rooted in its past experience with the APC coalition that brought President Muhammadu Buhari to power in 2015. Despite playing a significant role in the coalition, the North-Central zone was allegedly marginalized by the North-East and North-West zones during Buhari’s administration.
The Forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, stated that the North-Central zone will not repeat the mistakes of the past. “We brought a sitting governor to the coalition, but we were denied key positions and infrastructure projects,” Zazzaga said.
The North-Central APC Forum also accused the North-East and North-West zones of concentrating federal appointments and benefits within their regions, leaving the North-Central zone out.
In a statement, the Forum said: “Whatever Atiku Abubakar and Nasir El-Rufai are doing is for their own benefit, not even in the interest of the North-East and North-West. We are confident that President Bola Tinubu will win reelection in 2027, despite their coalition.”
The Forum reiterated its commitment to supporting President Tinubu’s administration and the APC government, while distancing itself from any coalition with the North-East and North-West zones.
