Battle Lines Drawn: APC Forum Defends President Tinubu’s Embattled NCDC Nominee Amid Protests

The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has firmly rejected the protests against President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of Cyril Tsenyil as Managing Director of the newly established North Central Development Commission (NCDC).

In a statement released on Thursday, the Forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, dismissed the protesters as impostors allegedly sponsored by opposition forces aiming to sabotage the Commission and derail its developmental mission for the region.

Reports had emerged that a group known as the Concerned Plateau Youth Forum had urged President Tinubu to reverse Tsenyil’s appointment, claiming it did not represent the interests of Plateau State. The group, led by Danladi Pam, also announced plans to stage protests in Abuja to press their demand.

Responding to the move, the APC Forum denounced the group as a faceless entity acting under the influence of disgruntled opposition politicians. It accused them of attempting to blackmail the President and frustrate the progress of the North Central region.

“These individuals are neither true Plateau residents nor genuine indigenes of the North-Central region,” Zazzaga stated. “No well-meaning person from this region would seek to obstruct the unprecedented development opportunity that the NCDC represents—especially with a competent technocrat like Cyril Tsenyil at the helm.”

The Forum challenged Danladi Pam and his group to reveal their identities, labeling them as political tools lacking credibility and connection to the region’s development agenda.

“As committed stakeholders in the North-Central,” Zazzaga continued, “we distance ourselves completely from these so-called agitators and their sponsors. They do not represent our aspirations or our people’s interests.”

He further urged residents of the region to ignore the distractions and remain focused on the opportunities the new Commission brings under President Tinubu’s leadership.

The Forum also lauded Cyril Tsenyil’s appointment, describing it as well-deserved and a recognition of his loyalty to the APC and his contributions to the Tinubu administration’s developmental agenda.