Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says President Bola Tinubu has directed him to work closely with Abdullahi Ganduje, his predecessor.
Yilwatda, who described himself as a “coordinator” of the APC, said he will depend heavily on Ganduje’s experience to steer the party.
He spoke in Abuja on Wednesday when Ganduje paid him a condolence visit over the death of his mother.
His words: “My doors are open, the office is open, the partnership remains open, and the friendship remains open.
“His excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked me to work with you, to reach out to you as well about partnership. I told him I would regard you still as a chairman in partnership with me. You are still the co-chairman of the party.
“I am only a coordinator. My duty is simply to coordinate the membership of this party. But the party belongs to all of us. We are all collective leaders of the party.
“So I need your experience, your guidance, your connections, and your contacts to ensure we solidify this party and build it together, so that we can win more elections.”
On his part, Ganduje, who now chairs the board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said his relationship with Yilwatda should serve as an example of how a successor and predecessor can work together.
He said: “One important thing is that the problem between a successor and his predecessor which is one of the issues that APC has solved.
“So our relationship is the beginning to solve that kind of problem. Not only in APC but in the whole atmosphere of democracy. I have to congratulate you for this new appointment.”