Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) say the resignation of Abdullahi Ganduje as national chairman of the party is a strategic step towards repositioning the party.
Ganduje tendered his resignation on Friday.
The APC confirmed Ganduje’s resignation thereafter, national publicity secretary of the APC, Felix Morka said the resignation would enable the former governor of Kano to attend to ‘urgent and important’ personal matters.
In a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day strategic meeting of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) held in Benin City, Edo state capital, on Saturday, the governors said the change in party leadership is not a sign of crisis, but aligns with internal reforms and ongoing efforts to strengthen the APC.
The Governor of Imo and chairman of the forum, Hope Uzodimma, who read the communiqué, said Ganduje’s resignation reflects the party’s commitment to continuous evolution and adaptive governance.
‘His Excellency, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s resignation is in tandem with the party’s continued evolution’, the communiqué reads.
‘This meeting provided a crucial platform to harmonise development strategies, reinforce party cohesion, and reaffirm our forum’s dedication to people-centred development, institutional accountability, and inter-governmental collaboration’.
The governors said the APC remains Nigeria’s most structured political platform, citing its record of reforms, electoral victories, and national spread as evidence of its strength.
A highlight of the meeting was the formal reception of Umo Eno, governor of Akwa Ibom, into the APC.
The governors described his defection, along with that of his supporters, as a reflection of growing support for the policies of President Bola Tinubu.
The forum also reviewed the country’s political, economic, and security outlook, expressing satisfaction with what it described as renewed coordination between federal and state governments.
The governors welcomed the federal government’s fiscal reforms, including subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, and debt restructuring, while calling for more inclusive investment in social protection and economic equity.
‘Growth must be further democratised through expanded investments in food security, job creation, poverty eradication, MSMEs, and social safety nets’, the forum said.
The forum reaffirmed support for economic decentralisation, in line with Section 13 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and emphasised the importance of sub-national governments in driving national development.
It also noted growing investor confidence in APC-led states, citing increased domestic and foreign direct investments across several states.
‘Multiple APC-led states are now attracting significant domestic and foreign direct investments, which is a testament to the enabling environment being created’, the PGF stated.
