Real reason APC National Chairman Ganduje resigned

Details have emerged surrounding the unexpected resignation of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on Friday.

Sources at the APC national secretariat told Saturday PUNCH that Ganduje stepped down over alleged plans by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bring his long-time political rival and former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, into the party.

By 3:00 p.m. on Friday, high-level discussions were already ongoing within the APC leadership as efforts were being made by top party officials, including National Secretary Ajibola Basiru, to persuade Ganduje to reconsider his decision.

“We are currently pleading 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 stakeholders are begging him to stay,” one insider told Saturday PUNCH.

However, by 4:15 p.m., the same source confirmed that Ganduje had resigned.

“He has eventually resigned. We couldn’t stop him. There’s something personal between him and Kwankwaso, who is reportedly preparing to join the APC following discussions with the President,” the source added.

An APC staff member at the secretariat also confirmed the development, saying, “There is no crisis, just that the chairman has resigned and people have gathered to discuss it.”

Longstanding Rivalry
Ganduje and Kwankwaso share a complicated political history. Both men once enjoyed a strong alliance in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with Ganduje serving as deputy to Kwankwaso during the latter’s second term as Kano governor from 2011 to 2015.

Their relationship, however, soured after Ganduje took over as governor under the APC in 2015. The rivalry deepened with the controversial dethronement of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II — a known Kwankwaso ally — during Ganduje’s tenure. Sanusi was later reinstated in May 2024 by Governor Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), backed by Kwankwaso.

Official Reason and Political Intrigue
Although Ganduje cited health reasons for his resignation, insiders say political pressure and the prospect of Kwankwaso’s return to the APC were the real catalysts. A top political associate of Kwankwaso, Buba Galadima, denied knowledge of the defection plan but confirmed talks about political restructuring within the APC.

“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 even Vice President Kashim Shettima should be sacrificed to bring new people into the party and government,” Galadima alleged.

Ladipo Johnson, spokesperson for the NNPP, declined to comment on Kwankwaso’s rumoured defection.

Online, Ganduje’s aide Salihu Yakasai posted a cryptic message on X (formerly Twitter): “TINUBU WHY, APC WHY 😢😢😢”, suggesting a sense of betrayal.

Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad also confirmed Ganduje’s resignation on his verified Facebook page:

“The National Chairman of our great party, the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has resigned from his position, effective immediately, as confirmed by multiple sources.”

Ali Dalori to Step In as Acting Chairman
Following Ganduje’s resignation, the APC is expected to name Ali Dalori, the party’s Deputy National Chairman (North), as Acting National Chairman in line with the party’s constitution.

A senior party official said, “Some APC leaders met at the Presidential Villa, where Ali Dalori was announced as acting National Chairman in accordance with the constitution, which states that the Deputy Chairman from the same zone shall take over in an acting capacity.”

At the APC headquarters in Abuja, several supporters were seen gathered in clusters discussing the development and awaiting official confirmation from the National Working Committee (NWC).

Efforts to reach Felix Morka, the APC National Publicity Secretary, were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone went unanswered at the time of filing this report.