In an unexpected development, the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), announced his resignation on Friday, June 27th. The resignation reportedly took effect immediately.
Party insiders disclosed that Ganduje’s personal belongings had already been cleared from his office prior to the public announcement, catching many staff and visitors at the APC national secretariat in Abuja off guard.
Ganduje’s resignation was officially declared on Friday, with the APC’s Deputy National Chairman (North), Ali Bukar Dalori from Borno State, appointed as Acting National Chairman until a permanent replacement is elected.
In an official statement confirming the resignation, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, remarked that “In his resignation letter addressed to the National Working Committee (NWC) via the National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, Ganduje expressed his appreciation to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Tinubu, for the opportunity to serve the party at such a high level.”
While Ganduje cited health issues as the reason for his resignation, sources indicate that he was urged to resign after the president requested it, following his purported nomination for an ambassadorial role. Reports suggest that he was asked to step down in order to prepare for the new ambassadorial position.
Although the full context of the situation remains unclear, his departure is believed to be connected to the APC’s preparations for the 2027 election and its attempts to reorganize the distribution of key power positions among the party’s factions.
It is worth noting that Ganduje assumed the role of APC chairman in August 2023 amidst internal party disputes that arose after the election of the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu, as president. Tinubu’s election occurred against the backdrop of allegations that the then-party chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, had supported a different candidate during the party primaries, resulting in a strained relationship between Adamu and the president’s associates.
The detrimental circumstances resulted in the premature resignation of Abdullahi Adamu, who hails from the North Central state of Nassarawa. However, to the dismay of party loyalists from the North Central region, who favored a candidate from their area to assume the role and fulfill Adamu’s term, he was succeeded by Abdullahi Ganduje from Kano in the North West. This issue has persisted as a contentious topic throughout Ganduje’s tenure as Party chairman. It is a matter that the party must address as it moves towards the 2027 elections.
Another factor that may have contributed to Ganduje’s resignation is the purported aggressive attempts by his rival, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the NNPP, to switch allegiance to the APC, as encouraged by the presidency in anticipation of the 2027 elections. This strategy aims to secure the pivotal states of Lagos, Rivers, and Kano— the most populous in the nation— for the APC. With President Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesome Wike firmly in control of the Lagos and Rivers political turfs, the APC strategists in the presidency view Kwankwaso as a more significant asset to Ganduje in securing the Kano votes. There are rumors suggesting that Kwankwaso is being enticed with the prospect of the vice-presidential position on the 2027 APC ticket.
Ganduje, whose rapport with Kwankwaso is notably strained, is reportedly vehemently against the notion of Kwankwaso joining the APC. It is also alleged that Kwankwaso’s condition for accepting the defection proposal includes the ousting of Ganduje from his role as the party’s chairman.
The tense relationship between Ganduje and Kwankwaso traces back to their involvement in Kano’s political scene. The two men previously formed a political alliance within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with Kwankwaso serving as governor from 1999 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015, while Ganduje acted as his deputy during the latter period.
Their political alliance deteriorated after Ganduje took over from Kwankwaso as governor in 2015 under the APC banner. Since that time, the two have become fierce adversaries, often clashing over the political dynamics in Kano.
A significant point of contention in their rivalry was the 2020 removal of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi, who was widely regarded as a supporter of Kwankwaso. Nevertheless, Sanusi was reinstated as Emir of Kano on May 23, 2024, by Governor Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), under the guidance of Kwankwaso.
While Ganduje cited health issues as the official reason for his resignation, political analysts attribute his decision directly to the recent reconciliation between Tinubu and Kwankwaso.
Buba Galadima, a close political associate of Kwankwaso, stated that he was not aware of any imminent plans for Kwankwaso to switch to the APC. However, he did acknowledge the presence of ongoing political maneuvering within the APC.
“I am not informed about any defection strategy. However, I am aware that Kwankwaso and Ganduje have personal conflicts. I also know that there was a meeting of APC stakeholders and the presidency three days ago where it was decided that Ganduje and Shettima should be replaced to introduce a new group of individuals into the government and the party,” Galadima remarked.
Among the anticipated changes within the APC in preparation for the 2027 election is the potential replacement of Vice-President Kashim Shetima with Rabiu Kwankwaso, as well as the substitution of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, from the North Central, with the former governor of Adamawa state, Boni Haruna, from the North East. Should these changes occur as suggested, the South East zone will once again be conspicuously excluded from the APC’s power-sharing arrangement.
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