In a most shocking and unexpected development which threw the national secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, into disarray, the National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on Friday quit his position.
Ganduje’s resignation was with immediate effect indicating that he must have been stampeded out of office.
Sources at the secretariat hinted that that the personal belongings of the controversial Kano State governor had earlier been removed from his office, raising eyebrows.
According to Premium Times, Ganduje, cited health reasons for his decision, stating that he needed to focus on his well-being.
Newsmata.com.ng recalls that the now former APC national chairman was on August 3, 2023, appointed national chairman following the resignation of Abdullahi Adamu. His tenure had been largely controversial just as his tenure as Kano State governor which was trailed by allegations of corruption, particularly the babanriga dollar-stuffing saga which earned him the moniker, ‘Gandollar’.
Though speculations about his impending resignation was rife as early as Friday morning, a report by Daily Nigerian suggested that the move has been confirmed and was due to mounting internal pressure.
Although no official announcement has been made, insiders say the former Kano State governor had come under mounting pressure from key party stakeholders—especially from the North Central region who had been agitating for the chairmanship seat to return to their zone.
Premium Times linked Ganduje’s resignation to alleged financial impropriety with some party members reportedly protesting “excessive financial demands” imposed by his office.
Specifically, aspiring FCT area council candidates had complained about hefty fee requirements for receiving the party’s ticket.
Political observers fear that if not well-managed, Ganduje’s resignation may throw the party which had witnessed spate of defections from opposition political parties into it into a major crisis.