Isaac Samuel
The sudden resignation of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, may have little to do with health reasons as officially claimed.
The move, it was learnt is part of a high-stakes political strategy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to calm tensions within the ruling party and stop an emerging northern rebellion ahead of the 2027 general election.
A chieftain of the APC from the North confirmed to this medium that prior to Ganduje’s resignation, pressure had mounted on Tinubu to address growing anger from the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc, one of the major groups that formed the APC in 2013.
The CPC wing, mostly made up of core loyalists of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has been feeling completely sidelined in the current structure of the party and political leadership position, the chieftain said.
To stop further defections and collapse of internal support from the North, the President reportedly asked Ganduje to resign and may now be backing former Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, a founding CPC leader as a strong replacement.
It was gathered that tensions have been rising for months. Recall that in March, APC governors visited former President Buhari in Kaduna to beg him to stop his loyalists from dumping the party.
That meeting was followed by high-profile defections, including that of ex-Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who claimed to have received Buhari’s blessings before leaving.
Other CPC-linked figures like former SGF Babachir Lawal, ex-Attorney General Abubakar Malami, are also reportedly in talks with opposition leaders and may join a new coalition targeting Tinubu in 2027.
Recently, former Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi met with Malami, a strong Buhari ally as fears of a northern gang-up against Tinubu are growing.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, ex-Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, are among strong faces planning a coalition to unseat the Presiden.
To prevent this, the source said Tinubu agreed to let Ganduje go, even though he had stood by him until now.
There are indications that Ganduje will likely be compensated with an ambassadorial appointment. With President Tinubu from the South-West and Senate President Godswill Akpabio from the South-South, it is gathered that party leaders have resolved that the national chairmanship should remain in the North-Central geopolitical zone.
Party insiders say Al-Makura’s calm personality, party loyalty, and ability to bridge divides between old CPC and ACN members make him the top choice.
The APC chieftain said this has placed Al-Makura in a pole position because of the widely recognised influence and respect he command within the party.
The chieftain said: “Al-Makura is not just any former governor. He was the only CPC governor elected in 2011 and played a major role in convincing Buhari to merge with ACN and other parties to form the APC in 2013. He is seen as the political link between Tinubu’s ACN and Buhari’s CPC”.
Al-Makura is also one of the few CPC leaders who have remained loyal to Tinubu and the current APC leadership.
Recently, after some members in the CPC-block began showing their disdain for Tinubu’s government, Al-Makura led some other members to declare full support for Tinubu and publicly dismissed those claiming to speak for the CPC bloc as “noise-makers.”
Another indication that may reveal the President’s may favour Al-Makura, according to the source is that during Tinubu’s recent visit to Nasarawa, the President openly praised Al-Makura’s leadership and performance.
“He is trusted by both Buhari and Tinubu. That’s what the party needs right now to stabilise and move forward,” he said.
Recall that Ganduje’s emergence as chairman in 2023 had upset many in the North-Central, who felt the seat was unfairly taken from them after the forced exit of Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
Some North-Central leaders are already insisting it’s time to return the position to their region.
An APC North-Central Forum, led by Saleh Zazzaga, in a statement on Saturday said the zone deserves the chairmanship to complete Adamu’s interrupted tenure.
He said President Tinubu from the South-West and Vice President Shettima from the North-East, zoning logic points to the North-Central for the next APC national chairman.m
He said: “We had consistently maintained that the position of National Chairman should remain in the North-Central to complete the tenure of Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
“We even went to court to pursue this demand. However, when the National Executive Committee (NEC) ratified Ganduje’s appointment, we chose to suspend the agitation for the sake of the party’s stability.
“The resignation has presented a golden opportunity for the party to do the right thing, for fairness, justice, and equity. The North-Central played a critical role in the 2023 elections and deserves to be recognized accordingly.
“This is not just a demand based on sentiment. The North-Central has capable hands that can lead the APC to greater electoral victories. Returning the chairmanship to the zone will consolidate the party’s progress and stability.”
