Despite citing health reasons for his resignation as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), new information suggests that Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was compelled to step down due to political machinations leading up to the 2027 presidential election.
According to sources, a top security official visited Ganduje’s residence around 2 a.m. on Friday to demand his resignation letter.
A source close to the former chairman expressed shock, saying, “We didn’t see it coming.”
Ganduje’s last official function as chairman was a condolence visit to the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, over recent flood and bandit attacks.
Read Also: APC Names New Acting National Chairman After Ganduje’s Resignation
Sources attribute Ganduje’s forced exit to a major political calculation involving Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and a long-time rival of Ganduje in Kano.
It is believed that President Bola Tinubu has been courting Kwankwaso, who was reportedly considering joining a rival coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
A source revealed that Kwankwaso had given President Tinubu one key condition for joining the APC: Ganduje’s removal as national chairman, as Ganduje’s presence prevented Kwankwaso from assuming party leadership in Kano.
“We learnt that the president was informed that Kwankwaso had been approached by the Atiku-led coalition and was already considering the offer. That may have triggered Ganduje’s removal,” the source stated.
Another source linked the decision to the upcoming APC congress, suggesting that retaining Ganduje would make it difficult to attract Kwankwaso and other political heavyweights who would be unlikely to join without guaranteed control over state party structures.
Ganduje’s tenure had also faced sustained opposition from stakeholders in the North Central zone, where his predecessor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, hails from.
Adamu was reportedly forced to resign after the 2023 elections, and stakeholders from his zone have since demanded that the chairmanship position be returned to them.
With Ganduje’s exit, attention has now shifted to the North Central for his replacement. Three prominent figures from the zone are being considered:
- Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura: A founding APC member and former Nasarawa State governor, he is seen as a loyalist to President Tinubu.
- Senator George Akume: The current Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and a close associate of President Tinubu.
- Senator Mohammed Sani Musa (313): A close ally of the president and the current chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.
However, analysts note a potential challenge for these candidates: their respective states are led by APC governors, who are traditionally considered the party leaders at the state level.
This dynamic could complicate their chances of assuming the national chairmanship.
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