The recent resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje from his role as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sparked speculation within the party, with a prominent chieftain suggesting that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso could emerge as a potential successor.
Though Ganduje, who hails from the North West, had been occupying a position originally zoned to the North Central, the party stalwart who spoke on condition of anonymity believes internal zoning disagreements may have played a role in his departure.
“It is possible that Ganduje might have been consumed by the zoning crisis because that position belonged to North Central before Ganduje was confirmed. It does not belong to North West,” the source said.
Describing the chairmanship as a politically volatile position, the chieftain added, “Ganduje might have been forced to resign because a self-resignation of this instance is not expected.”
“Yet it is not surprising because that seat is very hot. We know what has happened to his successors, so it is hard to see a Chairman who completes his tenure as APC Chairman. We saw what happened to Abdullahi Adamu, Oshiomhole, and others.”
The source further questioned whether President Bola Tinubu would be willing to bypass the North Central region again in favor of Kwankwaso, who also comes from the same geopolitical zone as Ganduje.
Still, he noted a growing momentum in support of Kwankwaso’s entry into the party and eventual leadership.
When asked whether Ganduje’s resignation was linked to tensions with Vice President Kashim Shettima, the chieftain dismissed the idea, suggesting instead that recent political developments were strategic moves by the presidency.
He explained, “The drama in Gombe State at the Northeast APC endorsement meeting was cooked to spike the Northeast party members, to check their readiness for the 2027 election.”
“If you check the contribution of APC in the Northeast during the 2023 election, you will agree with me that it was insignificant.”
“So, what happened last week was intended to wake them up. I don’t think the President intended to remove Shettima, and the drama can’t be attributed to Ganduje.”
Regarding any potential fallout for the APC in Kano, particularly in the lead-up to the 2027 elections, the source expressed confidence that Tinubu’s chances would not be negatively affected.
“It is not necessarily possible for Ganduje’s resignation to threaten Tinubu’s chance in Kano because I don’t think Ganduje will fight back. You know Ganduje is a very loyal and committed member of APC,” he said.
Concluding his thoughts, the APC chieftain hinted at what he sees as a likely shift in leadership dynamics within the party.
“But what I’m thinking, the way the wave of permutations is going, Kwankwaso may likely emerge as new APC Chairman. This is my personal observation. Kwankwaso will join APC soon.”
