Facts have emerged as to why the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, abruptly “resigned” on Friday.
Mr Ganduje was appointed as the national chairman of the ruling party on August 3, 2023, following the forced resignation of a former governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu.
On Friday, news outlets broke the story of Mr Ganduje’s resignation, citing mounting pressure from the North Central zone as one of the reasons that brought abrupt end to the party chairman’s leadership.
But sources familiar with the development said the party chairman was asked to resign by President Bola Tinubu, following a report of the State Security Service, SSS, that indicted him of corruption.
According to sources, the last straw that broke Mr Ganduje’s back was the shoddy handling of the FCT Area Councils primary elections, particularly Bwari Area Council primaries, during which the results were allegedly manipulated in favour of the highest bidders.
An observer who witnessed the controversial Bwari Area Council primaries of the ruling party, Enyigwe Matthew, had this to say on social media: “With the kind of APC primary I witnessed at Liberty Hotel in Bwari last Wednesday, I knew that this Ganduje of a man can’t last as the National Chairman of the party.
As soon as his list of delegates arrived, he used the police to chase away all aspirants and accredited journalists. His actions can’t be ignored or unattributed to that chaos that resulted to the loss of life.”
A security source who preferred anonymity said that the president directed the SSS to investigate the bribe-for-ticket allegations, following complaints of manipulations and corruption that permeated the primaries.
It was gathered that upon submission of the report, the president summoned the chairman of Progressive Governors Forum and governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma as well as the senior special assistant to the president on Political Affairs, Ibrahim Masari, and directed them to “advise” Mr Ganduje to honourably resign.
The duo, according to the sources, was later joined by the governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, to meet Mr Ganduje and convey the presidential message.
Devastated by the news, Mr Ganduje did not immediately heed to the presidential “advice” on Thursday night. He therefore made frantic attempts to see the president and plead with him to allow him lead the party to convention in December 2025.
On Friday morning, the sources said, Mr Ganduje continued to hold on to office, intensifying lobby, until the director general of the SSS, Adeola Ajayi, met with him.
Faced with the expectant consequence of being forced out of office to face corruption charges, Mr Ganduje succumbed and tendered his resignation, citing “health challenge” as a pretext.
Past attempts to remove Ganduje
Mr Tinubu had previously made attempts to remove Mr Ganduje owing to mounting agitation from the North Central to correct political imbalance as well as complaints on corruption, extortion and selfish handling of party matters.
In August 2024, Mr Tinubu had reportedly planned to remove Mr Ganduje, consequent upon which he would be nominated for ambassadorial posting in one of the West African countries.
The president then directed the president of the Senate Godswill Akpabio to reveal the decision to Mr Ganduje.
But upon breaking the news to him, Mr Ganduje reportedly lobbied the party patriarch, Bisi Akande, to prevail on the president to shelve the plan.
According to sources, the president reluctantly acceded to Mr Akande’s demand to allow Mr Ganduje lead the party to convention in December 2025.
“The tiny string that holds Ganduje as chairman was recognition of his early loyalty to President Tinubu.
But Ganduje’s corruption and selfish political interests have stretched the president’s tolerance threshold, such that he (Tinubu) had to wield the big stick to save the party,” said an inside source.
Falling out with strong allies
Mr Ganduje’s travails worsened after falling out with two of his dependable allies in APC, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and Secretary of the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
Although Mr Uzodimma had previously stood with Mr Ganduje whenever the president attempted to remove him, the Imo governor this time supported the president’s move due to a strained relationship occasioned by Mr Ganduje’s “selfish interference” in the South East APC affairs as well as Anambra governorship primaries.
On the Benue APC crisis, Mr Ganduje dumped his ally, Akume, in favour of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
Source: DailyNigeria
