Contrary to manifest reasons so far advanced, facts have emerged that the crises in the North-East Zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC) actually spurred the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje.
Top party sources said Ganduje’s resignation was part of the conditions given to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the governors of the North-East for them to support his second term bid ahead of the 2027 elections.
Recall that Ganduje, the immediate past governor of Kano State in the North West, was never elected chairman of the APC, but was appointed about 22 months ago, as a replacement of Senator Adamu Abdulahi from the North Central, at the behest of President Bola Tinubu.
Feelers from the party said the crisis in the North-East APC actually consumed him. But that is against the disposition of the National Chairman that he resigned to take care of his health.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Chairman North, Alhaji Ali Bukar Dalori is to serve as acting National Chairman of the party with immediate effect in conformity of the constitution of APC stipulates that the Deputy National Chairman of the zone of the National Chairman automatically takes over when National Chairman is removed or resigns.
One of the sources said that Ganduje was working for a Vice Presidential candidate to be nominated from the North West. They argued that was the reason that the name of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibril, had featured prominently as Vice President Kashim Shettima’s replacement in recent times.
Ganduje’s problem started when at the APC North East summit, the national leadership of the party endorsed President Tinubu for a second term and did not extend such endorsement to the Vice President, Shettima.
A source said the governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, may have influenced the APC governors from the zone to demand for Ganduje’s resignation.
The source said, “Ganduje resignation was not ordinary. It was demanded by the North East APC governors. It is also to create space for the North Central to produce the National Chairman of the party ahead of 2027.
“This position was abinitio zoned to the North Central in 2022 but after the election in 2023, the President nominated Abdullahi Ganduje to replace the former governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu as the APC National Chairman.
Recall that Aliyu Audu, until recently, a Senior Special Assistant to the President Tinubu, had called for the removal of Ganduje last Thursday whom, he said was Tinubu imposed on the party, and ensured the return of the office to the North Central. He said it was undemocratic for the National Chairman, Deputy Senate President, to come from the same geo-political zone.
The source further stated that the Presidency was considering the former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Al-Makura or Senator Mustapha Salius from Kwara State. The Presidency wants the North Central to complete the four years for a tenure.
APC, in its statement from National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Felix Morka announcing the resignation of Ganduje said: “The President has directed the Deputy National Chairman (North), Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori, to assume the position of Acting National Chairman, pending the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party to be summoned immediately to fill the vacancy created by the resignation.”
