The North Central People’s Forum (NCPF) has expressed deep dissatisfaction over its members‘ exclusion from the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) board, a body it claims to have championed into existence.

The Forum, which held a Board of Trustees (BOT) and National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja yesterday, has announced a six-month extension of its current executive council’s tenure to allow for proper elections and transition.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP after the meeting, the Forum’s Publicity Secretary, Rt. Hon. Audu Sule appealed to President Bola Tinubu to recognise the group’s pivotal role in creating the Commission by appointing one of its members to the board.

“We are calling on Mr President to consider members of the very organisation that led the campaign for the establishment of the Commission to be part of its management,” Sule said.

He noted that the Forum had resolved for all members to continue contributing to the organisation‘s progress, with state chapters nominating candidates to fill leadership vacancies during the November elections.

On the political front, Sule pushed for the zoning of national party chairmanship to the North Central ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying the region has long been marginalised in party hierarchies.

“Currently, North Central does not hold the national chairmanship of any major political party — not the APC, PDP, SDP, or Labour Party,” he lamented.

He stressed the region‘s political significance, declaring that the combined votes from North Central states outnumber those from the South West.

“Anyone who underestimates the voting strength of the North Central does so at their peril,” Sule warned.

“Come 2027, we will not be quiet. We will demand what is rightfully ours.”