By Peter Dansu In the wake of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s sudden resignation as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC),...
By Peter Dansu
In the wake of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s sudden resignation as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party has swiftly moved to fill the leadership vacuum by appointing Alhaji Ali Bukar Dalori as Acting National Chairman.
Ganduje’s resignation, confirmed on Friday, came amid growing tension within the party, especially surrounding his handling of the party’s internal affairs. Insiders within the APC revealed that the final straw was his alleged mishandling of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council primary elections, particularly in the Bwari Area Council, where the conduct of the exercise sparked outrage.
According to party sources, the Bwari primary was marred by controversy, with security operatives reportedly seen chasing away other aspirants, leaving only one candidate — Hon. Joshua Musa Ishaku — to emerge unopposed. Ishaku, insiders claim, has ties to the opposition PDP and did not support President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential primaries.
“The Bwari incident was a national embarrassment,” one party chieftain said. “It was the height of disgrace and exposed the lack of control at the top.”
Beyond the electoral mishap, Ganduje’s exit was also the result of sustained pressure from key APC stakeholders, particularly from the North Central geopolitical zone. Leaders from the region have been vocal in their demand for the party’s top seat to return to their zone, arguing that it was unfairly taken away when Ganduje, a northerner from Kano, succeeded Abdullahi Adamu in August 2023.
Faced with rising internal opposition and mounting calls for equity, Ganduje was said to have been persuaded by the APC’s National Working Committee to step down — a move seen as a strategic concession to restore balance and unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In the interim, Alhaji Dalori, who is one of the party’s national vice chairmen, will steer the affairs of the APC pending the election of a substantive chairman at the party’s national convention, slated for December.
The decision is being viewed as a political recalibration — one aimed at dousing internal tensions and repositioning the ruling party for future electoral battles.
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