•Tinubu and Ganduje
It is now more than a month after former governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, “resigned” as national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but the dust over the manner by which he left office has not settled with many wondering how he “fell out” with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other power brokers in the party.
Also, following his resignation, many thought that he would be offered another position of similar weight or something close to that, but that has not happened, reports Weekend Trust.
Recall that in January 2025, President Tinubu appointed Ganduje as the chairman of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), but was only inaugurated in July, a few days after he seized to be the national chairman of the ruling party.
There were insinuations in some quarters that after his exit as chairman of the APC, and despite the claim that he wanted to go and attend to his health, Ganduje would swap position with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume but that did not materialise.
Even though some sources close to Ganduje in separate interviews with the Weekend Trust insisted that he left the coveted seat on his own volition, other sources said he was forced out of the equation in order to negotiate with the leaders of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), notably the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the governor, Abba Yusuf, to join the APC due to the cult followership the latter enjoys in Kano State and the relationship between him and President Tinubu which started since both were governors between 1999 and 2003.
Our correspondent was reliably informed that the plan could not pull through as APC stakeholders in Kano are not forthcoming in working with the NNPP leaders due to past experiences.
Sources said the case of Kano is different from that of other states because once the NNPP stalwarts are allowed into the party, most of the current APC leaders in the state would abandon the party due to the irreconcilable differences between them and the NNPP leaders.
“Many of them can’t possibly work together and that is the dilemma the party has found itself in because once you give opportunity to Kwankwaso and his group to migrate to the APC, the likes of Ganduje and others would either remain placid or move out of the party because they can’t work together,” one of the source said.
The situation, another source indicated, has made it difficult to complement the initial plan of wooing the NNPP leaders in a bid to win Kano in the 2027 elections as it can neither move ahead with the plan or go back since a new national chairman from the North Central has been appointed.
When Ganduje resigned on June 27, he stated that it was on grounds of ill health but few days after that, he was seen at the inauguration of the board of FAAN and shortly after, he visited the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s family in London.
Observers noted that seeing that he appeared strong enough on the two occasions, it was obvious that health condition did not prevent him from moving about, hence insinuations that his resignation had little or nothing to do with ill health.
It is believed that Ganduje vacated the position of national chairman of the APC for three reasons:
The first reason, according to sources, was that he was asked to step aside with a promise for a bigger position in order to pave way for Kwankwaso to join the party.
Secondly, there are allegations that he had fallen out with the presidency and was asked to go, and thirdly, that it was to placate the North Central region which agitation for retention of the seat after the exit of Abdullahi Adamu became a heated issue.
More than one month after the former chairman left the position, however, Ganduje has neither been compensated with a bigger position nor has Kwankwaso joined the APC.
Truce with Kwankwaso
It was learnt from a very reliable source close to the former national chairman that his travail began when on assuming office, he was told point-blank to go and reconcile with his former boss and political ally, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
The source said this was a very hard pill for Ganduje to swallow as he had not only parted ways with Kwankwaso, but had also drawn the battle line with him.
He was, however, said to have managed that situation, even though he was not happy about it thinking that he would be able to win the president over in due course.
“It was a tough moment for him when they said he should go and reconcile with Kwankwaso and thought that the pressure will fizzle out with time.
“But the call on him to act quickly persisted from the powers that be. Unfortunately, Ganduje was a bit reluctant in his approach to the matter which also sounded somehow to the Kwankwaso camp,” the source said.
He also cited the manner in which Ganduje spoke during a certain occasion on the rumoured return of Kwankwaso and went ahead to quote what the former chairman said.
The source said, “Let me take you back to when Dr Ganduje received in audience, the Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata, at the APC national headquarters in Abuja. The then chairman said: ‘The APC is deepening and widening democracy in the country. Kwankwaso is a fish out of water, trying to find its way back into the waters. We cannot say we can’t accommodate him, because a friend in need is a friend indeed. We don’t want to leave him completely abandoned. We can still have him in, if he wants to join us. When you see your son running to where he would get shelter and you are a big brother in a big home, I think it is morally right to accommodate him. So, we cannot say we cannot accommodate him,”’ the source recalled, alleging that the words do not sound reconciliatory.
Another source said that even though Ganduje did very well as chairman by getting more members including governors into the party, the earlier thinking of the president about having Kwankwaso was not forgotten.
The last straw, it was gathered was his inability to balance the chairmanship tickets of the party in the six area council of the FCT as requested by someone very close to the president on a 50-50 basis between the two major faiths in the country.
Unfortunately, the source said the choice of a lady for one of the tickets could not pull through, thereby altering the earlier instructions of having three each for the two faiths as against the 4-2 that emerged.
This was said to have angered the president’s close ally, who made the request and therefore persuaded Tinubu to ease him (Ganduje) off.
There are also indications that the presidency believes Kwankwaso controls the chunk of the votes in Kano and as such, a better option to work with in 2027, it was gathered.
There are observations that since the time he left the APC, Ganduje has not strayed close to the party or the presidency.
This has been interpreted as a confirmation that the former chairman did not voluntarily resign and maybe harbouring some grudges.
Party members who spoke with our correspondents in Kano on condition of anonymity said on three occasions that the former chairman was supposed to be in Kano to show his solidary to the president, the vice president and the APC, he was nowhere near the state.
“The excuse is that he travelled out of the country but the question you should ask yourself is whether Ganduje would have missed such opportunities were he to be in the position of national chairman no matter where he was,” the source said.
Ganduje’s aides and associates, however, do not see the situation in that light and have attributed his absence in the country to his resolve to rest after serving the party.
Chief of Staff to Ganduje, Malam Mohammed Garba, when contacted, said there is no problem between Ganduje and President Tinubu.
He said, “They remain bosom friends and have been in constant touch with the president who is the leader of the party. My principal was not removed as national chairman of the APC; he voluntarily resigned in the best interest of the party and to attend to some personal matters. He is currently in sound health and taking a well-deserved rest in London.
“Again, it is important to reiterate that he was not removed from office. His present stay outside the country is purely for rest, and no political party is in talks with him. Dr. Ganduje remains a committed member and leader of the APC, working tirelessly for the re-election of President Tinubu and to ensure the APC regains full control of Kano State.
“His associates are solidly working with him towards these goals, and together, they are focused on strengthening the party’s structures and ensuring electoral success at all levels.”
Another associate of Ganduje, Salihu Tanko Yakassai, explained that while Ganduje has remained loyal to the party, his associates are not happy with the way he was treated.
He said, “I’m a member of the APC, and I am aggrieved. So, if I feel that way, it’s safe to ask whether others do too.”
As the presidency keeps the blocs in Kano guessing, most of the leaders have decided to keep their fingers crossed until a concrete step is taken concerning the former national chairman.
Yakasai said: “The APC in Kano State remains strong and united. Dr. Ganduje, as the leader of the party in the state, will continue to bring his wealth of political experience to bear in ensuring the party’s victory in the 2027 elections.”
Since his exit, our correspondents learnt that though Ganduje has been trying to keep calm and has travelled outside the country to allow things simmer, it has not been easy for him to regain his composure.
Sources said that was why he did not rush back as he was wanted to when the president and vice president visited Kano on condolence visits.
He was also not in hand to present the views of the government at the Kaduna summit, being the immediate past chairman of the ruling party.
The most glaring was during the stakeholders meeting held in Kano, where he was absent though some persons said he monitored the event via Skype.
But many are of the view that whatever decision is finally taken on the position of Ganduje would redefine the power configurations within the party.
At one end is the deputy president of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, who is already making efforts to increase his structure by wooing members of the NNPP to the APC. There are also speculations that Murtala Sule Garo, given his control structures at the grassroots, is bound to play a role in how things shape up for the party in Kano.
Analysts say if Ganduje remains within the party, it is not likely that Kwankwaso would be willing to join the APC given the no love lost relationship between them and if Kwankwaso finally joins the APC, there will be the battle of who should be the leader of the party in the state as the latter is not likely to take instructions from Ganduje given his position as his former boss.
