Contrary to official claims of ill health, multiple credible sources have revealed that Abdullahi Ganduje’s resignation as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was triggered by mounting pressure from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Naijaonpoint reports that insiders within the ruling party, who spoke with Vanguard, disclosed that Ganduje’s decision to quit on Friday caught the Presidency off guard, as he was expected to resign by Monday.
“We anticipated his resignation by Monday. The intention was for him to use the weekend to quietly remove his personal belongings from the National Secretariat, away from the prying eyes of the media,” a reliable source disclosed.
The source added, “However, it seems he was displeased and chose to tender his resignation immediately.”
While details of the alleged rift between President Tinubu and Ganduje remain undisclosed, it is believed that the President had privately conveyed to Ganduje his desire for a leadership change at the helm of the APC.
Ganduje’s decision to resign before the stipulated Monday deadline reportedly caught the Presidency off guard.
With Ganduje’s sudden exit, the APC leadership is reportedly working to revert the party’s national chairmanship to the North-Central geopolitical zone, in line with its earlier zoning arrangement.
Already, consultations have begun over who will succeed Ganduje. Naijaonpoint understands that one of the leading contenders is a former governor of Nasarawa State, Umar Tanko Al-Makura.
However, party insiders suggest that some powerful stakeholders are rallying behind the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, as a more strategic choice to fill the vacuum.