By Jane Okafor, Abuja
Emerging details have pointed to the overriding need for the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) to widen and strengthen its scope in the north ahead of the defining 2027 general elections as the possible reasons leaders of the party conjured up unsavoury atmosphere for the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, to resign from his position on Friday.
The Daily Crucible reports that Ganduje was elbowed to quit his position over subtle but steady move by the party leaders to ensure that APC maintains its lead in the north which is deemed very critical to retaining power in 2027 in the face of threat from Coalition group being championed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi among others.
The Coalition group which has started working to register a political party with the acronym ADA ahead of 2027, is desperate to upstage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his party, the APC.
Part of the move by the APC strategists to checkmate the Coalition forces in the north is the drive to bring former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, a political rival of Ganduje, to return to the APC.
It was learnt that as of noon time on Friday, sources close to the national secretariat of the party said Ganduje was threatening to resign over an agreement between President Bola Tinubu and Kwankwaso for the latter to join the party.
An insider said that principal officers of the party, including the National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, had tried to prevail on him not to resign but their pleas failed.
“We pleaded with him (Ganduje) not to resign. He is upset that Kwankwaso is coming to the APC. I think the two of them are sworn enemies. All the stakeholders are begging him to drop his resignation threat. He eventually resigned. There was nothing we did not do to dissuade him but all of that couldn’t stop him,,” the insider said.
Both Ganduje and Kwankwaso are former governors of Kano and were once political allies during their days in the Peoples Democratic Party.
Kwankwaso served as governor from 1999 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015, with Ganduje as his deputy during the second term.
However, their relationship deteriorated shortly after Ganduje succeeded Kwankwaso as governor in 2015 under the APC.
Since then, the two have become political rivals, frequently clashing over control of Kano’s political structure and influence.
Ganduje deposed the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, who was installed by and believed to be loyal to Kwankwaso.
But Sanusi was reinstated on May 23, 2024, by Governor Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, under Kwankwaso’s leadership.
Ganduje, who became APC National Chairman in August 2023, cited health grounds as the reason for his decision to quit the party.
And according to PUNCH, Kwankwaso’s closest allies, Buba Galadima, said he was not aware of such a plan by the ex – governor of Kano State and 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party(NNPP) to join APC.
He, however, said he was privy to a meeting involving some APC stakeholders and the presidency to “sacrifice Ganduje and the Vice President, Kashim Shettima.”
Galadima said, “I am not aware of the defection plan. However, I know Kwankwaso and Ganduje have personal issues. I am equally aware that there was a meeting of APC stakeholders and the presidency three days ago where they agreed that Ganduje and Shettima should be sacrificed to bring a new set of people into government and the party.”
Similarly, the spokesperson for the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, declined to comment.
“I am not aware of such a move, and I can’t speak further on it for now,” he stated.
In a post on his X handle, one of Ganduje’s aides, Salihu Yakasai, operating @Dawakiii account, wrote in all cap, “TINUBU WHY, APC WHY,” with three cry emojis.
A former media aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, also confirmed that Ganduje had resigned.
Ahmad, on his verified Facebook page, wrote, “The National Chairman of our great party, the All Progressives Congress(APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has resigned from his position, effective immediately, as confirmed by multiple sources.”
Meanwhile, the APC is set to announce the party’s Deputy Chairman (North), Ali Dalori, as the Acting National Chairman following Ganduje’s resignation.
It was learnt that some APC leaders met at the Presidential Villa, where Ali Dalori was announced as the acting National Chairman, in accordance with the party’s constitution.
“According to the constitution, when the Chairman resigns, the Deputy Chairman from his zone in this case, the Deputy Chairman (North) assumes the position in an acting capacity,” a source said.
At the APC National Headquarters in Abuja, some party supporters were seen discussing in small group the unfolding development while others awaited official confirmation from the National Working Committee.
Additional report source: Punch.
