Group Protests Tinubu’s NCDC Pick, APC Forum Breaks Silence

The concerns against President Bola Tinubu’s choice of Cyril Tsenyil as the Managing Director of the recently established North Central Development Commission (NCDC) have been dismissed by the North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum.
Through its chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the APC Forum said Thursday that those behind the protests against Tsenyil’s appointment are opposition-funded imposters who are trying to discredit the North Central Development Commission and thwart its goal of fostering rapid development in the North-Central area.

According to information obtained, the Concerned Plateau Youth Forum, a group of Plateau State residents, urged President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday to immediately withdraw Tsenyil’s candidacy, claiming that the appointment does not serve the interests of the state’s citizens as a whole.

The organization said it would demonstrate in Abuja to demand that Tsenyil’s nomination as MD of the North Central Development Commission be withdrawn in a statement signed by Danladi Pam. The North-Central APC Forum responded by calling the Concerned Plateau Youth Forum and Danladi Pam mysterious organizations that are controlled by opposition politicians who are unhappy with the accomplishments of the APC government under President Bola Tinubu.

The Forum also denounced the group’s statement as an effort to exert pressure on President Tinubu.

In order to avoid being seen as enemies of the North-Central area, the APC Forum advised individuals responsible for the purported conspiracy to think again about their actions.

We boldly state that these individuals are neither native to the North-Central region nor inhabitants of the Plateau. With a tried-and-true technocrat like Mr. Cyril Tsenyil appointed as the Managing Director, no right-thinking North Centraler would want to stand in the way of the North-Central Development Commission’s accelerated development.

We don’t know the aforementioned Danladi Pam or his crew. We think that the faceless people are instruments in the hands of the opposition, even when we challenge them to reveal their identities.

“We disassociate ourselves from these anonymous people as legitimate North-Central stakeholders. They and their sponsors are neither our members, nor are they interested parties in the joint effort to advance and develop the North-Central area.

The statement, which Zazzaga, an APC campaign council member for the 2023 election, signed, said, “We urge the well-meaning people of the region to ignore the attempts being made by these entities to cause confusion and sabotage the mandate of the North-Central Development Commission.”

The nominee works for Tinubu and is an APC member.
According to the APC Forum, Cyril Tsenyil’s selection as the North-Central Development Commission’s managing director was well-earned.

Together with his illustrious career as a professional accountant, the Forum observed that Tsenyil has shown steadfast loyalty and dedication to the APC by carrying out a number of duties and responsibilities that have greatly aided in the growth and accomplishments of the party.

Mr. Cyril Tsenyil has an APC card. He has contributed to the accomplishments of President Bola Tinubu’s government, and we fully trust him to fulfill the North-Central Development Commission’s mandate.

Many of our members have worked with him on various committees and can vouch for his skill, so we are aware of his capacity.

As those involved who advocated for the establishment of the North-Central Development Commission, we would want to state unequivocally that we support Mr. President’s selection of Cyril Tsenyil.

“We urge the North-Central community to provide him with all the assistance he requires to complete this crucial task. Following a first delay, this new commission was answered for the North-Central, and we encourage the local population to pray and contribute to its success,” the statement continued.

The APC Forum commended Tinubu for selecting Tsenyil as the Commission’s Managing Director, claiming that with Tsenyil spearheading the organization’s mission, the North-Central region is well-positioned to meet its pledge to cast six million votes for Tinubu in the 2027 election.

On May 8, 2025, President Bola Tinubu reportedly formally presented his candidates to the Senate for the positions of South West, North Central, and South-South development commission leaders.

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Cosmos Akiyir was nominated as Chairman and Cyril Tsenyil as Managing Director of the North Central Development Commission, which had 19 nominees.

To address developmental challenges in the North-Central area of Nigeria, Tinubu signed legislation on February 4, 2025, creating the North-Central Development Commission (NCDC).