Oladipupo Awojobi 
Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s resignation as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came after months of controversy, including his suspension by his Kano ward, unresolved corruption allegations, and intense pushback from the North-Central zone, which had long demanded the return of the chairmanship slot.
Multiple stakeholders had accused the party of breaching internal zoning arrangements when Ganduje, a Northerner from Kano (North-West), was appointed to replace Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who hails from Nasarawa (North-Central).
Sources within the party revealed that President Bola Tinubu and APC governors reached a consensus to ease Ganduje out quietly, in order to stem internal rebellion and save face ahead of critical national elections.
North-Central makes bold claim
With Ganduje’s exit, the North-Central geopolitical zone is reasserting its claim to the party’s chairmanship.
Leading voices from Kogi, Kwara, Benue, Niger, Plateau, and Nasarawa States insist that returning the chairmanship to their region is not only a matter of fairness but also crucial for party unity and national balance.
Top contenders from the zone include:
Senator Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa): Former governor and founding APC member, widely respected and seen as a unifier.
Simon Lalong (Plateau): Immediate past governor and former Minister of Labour; may receive backing from President Bola Tinubu.
George Akume (Benue): Though currently serving as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, his name is often floated as an influential stakeholder who could help broker peace.
Who else is in the race?
Beyond North-Central, other regions and figures are also eyeing the position:
North-East: Some argue the chairmanship could be moved to the North-East to compensate for recent political shifts. Names like Senator Danjuma Goje have surfaced.
South-South and South-East: While unlikely to clinch the chairmanship now due to current zoning calculations, these zones are angling for other key party positions and seeking greater inclusion.
Younger Technocrats: A growing call within the party, especially among youth wings, is for a younger, more dynamic chairman to rebrand the party, restore internal discipline, and attract fresh support ahead of 2027.
The Tinubu factor
While the APC claims internal democracy, President Tinubu’s role will be decisive in determining who emerges. Ganduje was his longtime ally, and the President will likely want a replacement who is loyal, competent, and politically strategic.
Tinubu faces a delicate balancing act: appeasing aggrieved zones, maintaining national spread, and avoiding the alienation of powerful blocs within the party.
Observers believe the President may broker a consensus candidate, as he did with Ganduje’s emergence in 2023, to avoid a divisive convention.
Urgent questions the APC must answer;
Will the APC honour the North-Central’s demand? Will the next chairman be a grassroots politician or a technocrat?
Can the party avoid another internal crisis as witnessed during Adamu’s and Ganduje’s exits? Will the new leadership restore discipline, cohesion, and public confidence?
Controversies that rocked Ganduje’s reign as APC Chairman
When Dr Ganduje, the immediate past governor of Kano State, was appointed the National Chairman of the APC in July 2023, it was met with mixed reactions. For many within the ruling party, it was a reward for loyalty and experience. For others, especially from the North-Central zone, it was a breach of zoning principles and a political time bomb.
Almost two years later, Ganduje’s resignation is a culmination of controversies, public backlash, and internal party crises that plagued his leadership from the outset. His reign was rocked by several issues that questioned the party’s unity, leadership integrity, and commitment to internal democracy.
Below are the key controversies that defined Ganduje’s troubled time as APC National Chairman:
Zoning dispute and North-Central backlash
One of the earliest storms Ganduje faced was the zoning controversy. After the resignation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa (North-Central), many party stakeholders expected the chairmanship to remain in the zone.
However, Ganduje, from Kano State (North-West), was nominated and confirmed; bypassing the rotational arrangement agreed upon at the APC’s formation. The move sparked widespread resentment in the North-Central region.
Political heavyweights like Senator Tanko Al-Makura and George Akume were seen as more fitting choices, but Ganduje’s perceived closeness to President Tinubu gave him the upper hand.
This breach deepened internal divisions and created long-standing grievances among party loyalists.
MCorruption Allegations and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Probe. The most damaging issue during Ganduje’s tenure was the reignition of corruption allegations stemming from his time as Governor of Kano State.
Widely circulated videos in 2018 allegedly showed Ganduje receiving bribes in dollars; an image that earned him the nickname “Gandollar.” While he consistently denied the allegations, the scandal refused to go away.
In 2024, the EFCC reopened investigations into alleged misappropriation of public funds and bribery. The probe intensified in early 2025, with his immunity as APC chairman called into question.
His indictment and the bad optics surrounding his leadership tarnished the party’s anti-corruption image, drawing criticism from within and outside the APC.
Suspension by ward executives;
In a dramatic twist in April 2025, Ganduje was suspended by his ward executives in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, Kano State.
Citing his ongoing corruption case and alleged neglect of party structures, the ward leadership passed a vote of no confidence. Though the APC’s national body quickly dismissed the suspension, calling it “illegal and politically motivated,” the incident exposed cracks in Ganduje’s grassroots support.
Some party insiders alleged the move was sponsored by powerful Northern figures who had lost confidence in his leadership.
Growing resentment among APC governors and stakeholders:
Behind closed doors, many APC governors and National Working Committee members grew weary of Ganduje’s style of leadership. He was often accused of:
Running a one-man show without proper consultation. Favoritism in handling internal party crises.
Failing to manage party primaries and reconciliations in key states like Edo, Ondo, and Rivers.
His leadership style reportedly strained his relationship with several governors and stakeholders, leading to calls for his resignation in party caucuses.
Loss of moral high ground for the party:
Perhaps the most politically costly aspect of Ganduje’s tenure was the perceived loss of credibility and moral authority for the APC under his watch.
At a time when the government was battling inflation, insecurity, and public discontent, critics argued that retaining a chairman under investigation for corruption contradicted the party’s professed ideals of integrity and accountability.
Civil society groups, opposition figures, and even some APC youths publicly demanded his removal, further embarrassing the party.
Tensions with northern elders and Kano power blocks:
Even in his home state of Kano, Ganduje lost considerable political goodwill. The rise of Kwankwasiyya Movement under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf (NNPP), and legal battles between Ganduje and the new state government, worsened his public image.
He was accused of dragging the APC into local Kano feuds, especially after federal authorities intervened in controversial decisions made by the state government—like the reversal of the Kano Emirate law.
Conclusion: A legacy of contention
Ganduje’s resignation has been widely welcomed as a chance for the APC to reset and rebuild trust, especially as the party looks ahead to the 2027 elections.
However, his controversial tenure serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of ignoring party principles, public perception, and internal democracy.
As the APC searches for his successor, many stakeholders are calling for a leader with integrity, regional balance, and strong unifying capacity—a chairman who can steer the party through turbulent political waters without adding to the storm.
The post-Ganduje era presents both a crisis and an opportunity for the APC.
If handled with political maturity and fairness, the party could emerge stronger, more united, and ready for the challenges of governance and future elections.
But if succession is driven by imposition and disregard for internal balance, it may deepen the party’s internal divisions—further weakening the APC at a time when opposition parties are regrouping and Nigerians are increasingly vocal about insecurity, economic hardship, and governance.
As the battle for the next chairman unfolds, all eyes are on the APC; will it heal or crack under pressure?
