Abdullahi Ganduje’s resignation as APC National Chairman has ignited an APC Leadership Crisis, with strong speculation about Rabiu Kwankwaso’s potential entry and widespread unease in Kano
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s resignation as the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has sparked mixed reactions and amplified an APC Leadership Crisis, with reports from Kano State and the broader northern region indicating palpable unease among party members.
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Specifically, there is significant apprehension that the anticipated entry of the former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, into the APC fold may trigger widespread discontent among established stakeholders in Kano State.
The potential entry of the leader of the Kwankwasiyya group, alongside his protégé, Governor Kabir Yusuf, is expected to fundamentally alter the political structure of the state chapter of the APC.
This development could significantly challenge the influence of prominent figures such as the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and the senator representing Kano South Senatorial District, Kawu Sumaila, who are perceived as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s trusted allies in the state.
Beyond Kano, other notable APC stalwarts, including Senator Abdullaziz Yari, Senator Atiku Bagudu, and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, are reportedly concerned about the implications for their political future should Kwankwaso assume a prominent leadership role within the party.
The potential shift in power dynamics at the national and zonal levels is a major source of anxiety for these political heavyweights.
Meanwhile, Buba Galadima, a close ally of the former NNPP presidential contender, has dismissed reports of Kwankwaso’s imminent defection as speculative.
Galadima, however, claimed that President Tinubu’s inner circle desired the replacement of both Ganduje and Vice President Kashim Shettima to foster stronger partnerships in the North, suggesting a deeper game plan at play within the presidency.
A party chieftain from Borno State, Dogo Hamza, weighed in, emphasising that the position of national chairman historically belongs to the North-Central geopolitical zone, not the North-West, from which Ganduje hails.
He added that Ganduje’s removal should not affect the vice presidency, indirectly blaming President Tinubu for the unfolding situation.
Hamza recounted the historical context, stating: “In the beginning, Tinubu wanted Senator Tanko Al-Makura, but because [President Muhammadu] Buhari was still in charge, Buhari wanted Adamu. We did not know why Buhari disagreed because Al-Makura used to be a friend of Buhari and was the only CPC [Congress for Progressive Change] governor at the time.”
He continued, “Now, after becoming President, Tinubu was beholden to Ganduje because Ganduje really worked and followed him everywhere. But there were also issues, you know? Ganduje couldn’t pull that weight in Kano. Tinubu and APC need the votes of Kano because Kano alone can neutralise all the states in the South-East and even parts of the South-West.”
Hamza also shed light on Ganduje’s initial reluctance: “Originally, Ganduje said he was not interested in becoming chairman, that the slot belonged to North-Central. He said he wanted to be a minister, but Tinubu thought that with this Gan-Dollar thing, the opposition would embarrass and ridicule him, so he had to remove the party chairman.”
He further revealed that the President prefers a controllable party chairman, suggesting Kwankwaso might not be considered despite his influence.
“When the thing was zoned to the North West, the North Central insisted that it was their slot,” he explained, highlighting the ongoing zoning tussle.
Predicting the imminent emergence of Kwankwaso as a potential replacement, another chieftain from Kano, who requested anonymity, noted that Ganduje had been occupying the top party seat which rightly belonged to the North Central, suggesting that the former chairman might have been affected by zoning considerations.
This source, however, expressed puzzlement as to why President Tinubu would seemingly overlook the North Central in favour of Kwankwaso, who hails from the same political zone as Ganduje, further deepening the APC Leadership Crisis.
He stated that Ganduje’s resignation was likely forced, not voluntary, given the perceived “hot” nature of the chairmanship seat, citing the fates of past chairmen like Abdullahi Adamu, Adams Oshiomhole, and Chief John Odigie Oyegun, none of whom completed their tenures.
This suggests a pattern of leadership instability within the party’s top echelons.
When asked if the resignation was connected to an alleged conflict between Ganduje and Vice President Kashim Shettima, the source vehemently disagreed.
Instead, he insisted that President Tinubu orchestrated the “Gombe drama” – referring to an incident at a North-East APC endorsement meeting where Shettima’s name was omitted from a public declaration for 2027, causing chaos among his supporters.
This, according to the source, was a deliberate move “designed to provoke North-East party members and assess their readiness for the 2027 election.”
He added that the APC’s contribution from the North-East in the 2023 election was “insignificant,” suggesting the drama was intended to “wake them up” and not to remove Shettima or be attributed to Ganduje.
Regarding whether Ganduje’s resignation would affect Tinubu’s fortune in Kano in the 2027 general election, the APC chieftain doubted the likelihood of any discord threatening Tinubu’s prospects.
“It is not necessarily possible for Ganduje’s resignation to threaten Tinubu’s chances in Kano because I don’t think Ganduje will fight back. You know Ganduje is a very loyal and committed member of the APC,” he remarked, downplaying potential internal resistance.
He personally observed that “Kwankwaso may likely emerge as the new APC chairman. This is my personal observation. Kwankwaso will join APC soon.”
Another chieftain, a close ally of Ganduje from Kano State, told The Guardian in confidence that Ganduje’s exit was a “good omen” for the party in the state.
He accused Ganduje of “appropriating nearly all appointive positions meant for Kano to himself and his family members, to the detriment of party stalwarts in the state.”
He stated, “There won’t be any implications for the party in Kano State. It is in the best interest of APC in Kano.”
This chieftain further alleged that Ganduje “messed up everything with corrupt practices in the Ondo, Edo, Anambra, and FCT Area Council primaries, which the President could not tolerate any longer.”
He concluded that Ganduje “had to go for party cohesion.” He also criticised Ganduje’s performance as a sitting governor, noting his loss of the governorship and “virtually all elective seats to the NNPP.”
He explicitly stated, “I would rather have Kwankwaso in the APC than Ganduje, whose sense of self-centredness overshadows his sense of reasoning.”
He provided examples of Ganduje’s alleged self-allocation of positions, including the chairman of the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to himself, Executive Director of Rural Electrification Agency to his son, and presidential aide and FCT mandate secretary to his nephew and in-law.
Concurrently, the Chairman of the APC Stakeholders Forum in the North Central geopolitical zone, Dr Dominic Alancha, described Ganduje’s resignation as a “welcome development.”
He stated that it now “behoves President Tinubu to do the needful by returning the exalted seat to the North-Central geopolitical zone of the country.”
Alancha believes the exit will have “positive impacts” on the party. “For us in the North-Central zone, this position that was snatched from us was unfairly done. For some of us, we are happy with the development,” he stated, adding that this sentiment is shared across Kano, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, and the entire northern region.
He concluded that Ganduje’s resignation was “long overdue” and that the party needs rebranding with someone of “much integrity and capacity.”
The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has formally endorsed former Nasarawa State governor, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, for the position of National Chairman.
In a statement, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, Chairman of the forum, highlighted Al-Makura’s qualifications, noting he is from Nasarawa State, the same state as former National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu.
The forum emphasized Al-Makura’s ties to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc, which has not yet produced a National Chairman for the party, unlike the ACN and ANPP blocs.
They described Al-Makura as a “bridge-builder” with “unmatched political and administrative experience” whose loyalty to APC and Mr. President is “not in doubt.”
Conversely, the North-West Youths Consultative Forum has endorsed Senator Abdul’aziz Yari (APC-Zamfara West) for the position, citing his “political capacity and extensive experience.”
Group Chairman Shaaya’u Sarkinfawa stated Yari is capable of “bringing positive changes through his ideas of democratic development and transformation,” highlighting his track record and integrity.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Alhassan Yaryasa, an APC chieftain in Kano and former Coordinator of the Tinubu Campaign Organisation for Kano South, described Ganduje’s resignation as a “wise and timely decision” to “avoid imminent disgrace.”
He claimed “secret plans” were in place to “forcibly remove Ganduje if he did not align with the presidency’s agenda.”
Yaryasa explicitly stated, “We knew there was a plan to bring Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso into the APC and possibly make him the running mate of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.”
He commended Ganduje for his contributions but maintained it was “better for him to leave the position honourably before they force him to resign and disgrace him.”
Adding another dimension, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has stated that it would be a “huge relief” if its 2023 presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, were to join the APC.
Mr. Oginni Olaposi, the NNPP National Secretary, responded to the speculations linking Ganduje’s resignation to Kwankwaso’s alleged move.
Olaposi claimed Kwankwaso “still insists he is a member of our party even after his expulsion for alleged anti-party activities” and that he “did not only try to hijack the NNPP but made the party go through avoidable litigations.”
He noted that the NNPP logo, which Kwankwaso allegedly changed to the Kwankwasiyya Movement Logo, has just been reverted by INEC. Olaposi expressed doubt about the “propaganda that Ganduje left APC to enable an alleged negotiated arrangement with Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 presidential election.”
He affirmed that the NNPP “would be elated, if any proposed deal between APC and Kwankwaso became reality as the ruling party is in a better position to handle the former Kano state governor’s baggage.”
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Olaposi concluded by expressing scepticism regarding Kwankwaso’s alleged negotiations with the APC while still trying to control the NNPP, accusing him of betraying their trust by attempting to hijack the party from its founder.
