Ganduje Resigns As APC National Chairman Amid Kwankwaso Defection Rumours

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has resigned from his position, effective immediately, marking the end of a turbulent tenure that lasted less than a year.

Naijaonpoint reports that Ganduje, who governed Kano State from 2015 to 2023, tendered his resignation on Friday, amid strong speculations that President Bola Tinubu is working behind the scenes to bring Ganduje’s longtime rival, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, into the APC fold ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to insiders at the APC national secretariat who spoke with The Cable, the president’s strategic reconciliation with Kwankwaso, a former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), is a key factor in Ganduje’s resignation.

“Between me and you, it is true, but I can’t confirm officially, and please don’t quote me,” a senior official at the APC headquarters told TheCable.

Party sources said that one of the national vice chairmen will step in as acting chairman, pending the party’s national convention scheduled for December.

Ganduje’s resignation comes just hours after he led the APC National Working Committee on a condolence visit to Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, over the devastating Mokwa flood and ongoing bandit attacks in the state.

Ganduje’s exit draws the curtain on a short but controversial tenure as APC chairman, which began in August 2023 when he was appointed by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

His leadership was repeatedly undermined by legal tussles, internal party wrangling, and growing discontent within the Kano chapter of the APC, largely due to his protracted feud with Kwankwaso, his predecessor and political nemesis.

Despite citing health concerns, Ganduje appeared in public engagements as recently as Thursday, attending the second quarterly consultative meeting between INEC and political parties in Abuja alongside APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru.

With Ganduje out of the picture, political attention now shifts to Rabiu Kwankwaso, who remains one of the most influential northern politicians.

The prospect of Kwankwaso joining the APC ahead of 2027 has reshaped political calculations, especially in Kano.