Ahead 2027: North Central Renews Quest For APC Chairman As Ganduje Resigns

DDM News

The sudden resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rekindled strong agitation from the North Central zone to reclaim the party’s top leadership position.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that Ganduje, a former governor of Kano State who assumed the role of APC national chairman in August 2023, resigned from his position on Friday, fueling speculations and political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Though no official statement was initially released regarding the reasons for his resignation, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, later disclosed that Ganduje stepped down to “attend to urgent and important personal matters.”

The resignation, Morka confirmed, takes immediate effect.

Until Thursday evening, Ganduje was still seen performing official duties, including attending the commissioning of the Kugbo Bus Terminal in Abuja, making his sudden exit even more surprising to political observers.

Following his resignation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reportedly directed Hon. Ali Dalori, the party’s deputy national chairman (North), to take over in an acting capacity, pending the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting that would formally ratify a new national chairman.

However, the political ripple effects of Ganduje’s exit extend beyond mere administrative reshuffling.

APC stakeholders from the North Central geopolitical zone, who had long opposed Ganduje’s appointment on the grounds that the national chairmanship had been zoned to their region, have now renewed their calls for reinstatement.

Ganduje had replaced Senator Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa State, who resigned as APC chairman in July 2023 under controversial circumstances.

The North Central bloc had expected that Adamu’s successor would emerge from their zone, in line with the party’s original zoning formula. Instead, Ganduje’s emergence from the North West was perceived as political displacement.

Several party insiders have linked Ganduje’s resignation to President Tinubu’s broader strategy for consolidating support across the North in preparation for his anticipated 2027 re-election bid.

According to an APC insider who spoke on condition of anonymity, Ganduje’s position had become a stumbling block to potential defections to the APC by key northern politicians such as Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, another former Kano State governor.

“There are some people like Kwankwaso who want to join the APC, but if Ganduje is the chairman, they won’t join,” the source claimed. “Tinubu wants to win a second term and needs such people on board.”

Another senior party source echoed the same view, saying Ganduje’s exit was primarily to appease the North Central region and pave the way for one of its political figures to complete Adamu’s interrupted tenure.

“When the President was in Nasarawa for the commissioning of projects on Wednesday, he had a closed-door meeting with North Central APC leaders.

Their consistent demand was the return of the chairmanship to their region,” the source explained.

“Either Ganduje saw the handwriting on the wall and resigned voluntarily or he was subtly asked to back out.”

Ganduje’s resignation, unlike the abrupt removal of Adams Oshiomhole in 2020, is said to have been cushioned with a federal appointment.

He was named chairman of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), giving him a soft landing.

Reports also suggest that nearly all members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), including state party chairmen, have been offered chairmanships of federal parastatals, perhaps as part of a larger internal consolidation effort.

Other insiders claim that the party leadership’s reorganization is meant to make space for members of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc, a faction from the legacy parties that merged to form the APC in 2013.

They argue that the reshuffling will allow the CPC bloc to regain some control and appeal to voters in the Middle Belt.

One high-ranking APC official dismissed rumors that the vice-presidential slot could be redirected to the North West, stating that the region already holds substantial power through the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Deputy Senate President, and other ministerial portfolios.

A former APC national chairmanship aspirant in 2022, Emmanuel Estu, described Ganduje’s resignation as a positive step.

He expressed confidence that the North Central will finally reclaim its rightful place within the party.

“This is a welcome development for our great party. We thank Mr. President for his timely intervention,” Estu said.

“We call on the North Central Governors Forum to rally and ensure the region takes its rightful position.

This will boost our chances in upcoming elections.”

While the APC leadership awaits a formal resignation letter from Ganduje, a senior staff member at the party secretariat confirmed that Ganduje’s personal belongings were moved out of his office late Thursday evening.

“The items were packed into a black Jeep, which later drove out of the secretariat. That’s usually a strong sign,” he said.

In the interim, the APC’s deputy national chairman (North), Ali Dalori from Borno State, is expected to assume the role of acting chairman until a permanent successor is appointed or elected.

Political watchers believe the next few weeks will be critical for the APC’s internal realignments, particularly with the North Central zone now reenergized and lobbying hard for the chairmanship post.

As internal negotiations continue and President Tinubu balances party interests with regional expectations, the APC’s internal power dynamics could shape the road to 2027 more profoundly than any external opposition.

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