Home Politics Kwankwaso’s imminent return to APC responsible for Ganduje’s resignation, as Dalori steps leads party
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Kwankwaso’s imminent return to APC responsible for Ganduje’s resignation, as Dalori steps leads party

By Breezynews
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The Deputy National Chairman (North) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Ali Bukar Dalori, is to run the affairs of the party as the Acting National Chairman following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on Thursday evening.

Ganduje, who was elected 22 months ago, called time on his tenure on ‘health grounds’.

But Ganduje’s decision to resign might have been influenced by the impending return of a former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso to the party.

As early as 3pm on Friday, insiders at the APC national secretariat informed The PUNCH that Ganduje threatened to resign over an agreement between President Bola Tinubu and Kwankwaso for the latter to re-join the party.

According to an insider, all the principal officers of the party, including the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, unsuccessfully prevailed on Ganduje not to resign.

Ganduje was Kwankwaso’s deputy when the latter served as Kano State Governor, and he went on to succeed the former. But both leaders later fell apart politically.

In a statement in Abuja on Thursday night, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka said that the National Leader of the party, President Bola Tinubu has directed Dalori to assume office as National Chairman in an acting capacity pending the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC), to be summoned immediately to fill the vacancy created by Ganduje’s exit.

He said: ‘The All Progressives Congress wishes to announce the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, (CON), as the National Chairman of our great Party. His resignation, which is effective immediately, was offered to enable him attend to urgent and  important personal matters.

‘In his letter of resignation addressed to the National Working Committee (NWC) through the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, Dr. Ganduje expressed gratitude to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the opportunity to serve the Party at the highest level.

‘The President has directed the Deputy National Chairman (North), Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori, to assume the position of Acting National Chairman, pending the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party to be summoned immediately to fill the vacancy created by the resignation’.
Morka recalled that throughout Ganduje’s tenure, ‘he dedicated himself to strengthening party unity and cohesion, expounding its democratic ideals, and enhancing the party’s electoral competitiveness. The confidence placed in him by the party’s NEC and National Caucus meetings in February 2025 was a profound recognition and honour for his service’.
The party spokesman said that the former national chairman left his position with great pride, recalling his achievements, which include successful defections from opposition parties and legal affirmation of the party leadership’s legitimacy.
The party assured its members that it remains steadfast and unwavering in its mission to deliver transformative governance for all Nigerians, in line with President Tinubu’s renewed Hope Agenda.
Praying for good health and success in Ganduje’s future endeavours, the party’s NWC commended his invaluable contributions and distinguished record of service to the Party.
Ganduje turned in his resignation letter to the APC NWC through the National Secretary, Bashiru. He said he was stepping aside to enable him take care of his well-being.
The development sparked shock reactions at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja, with staff and party members discussing the resignation.
Earlier in the day, he had led a delegation of the NWC to pay a condolence visit to Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago at the state’s liaison office in Abuja over the recent Mokwa flood disaster and bandit attacks in Mariga Local Government Area of the state.
On Thursday, Ganduje and Basiru represented the APC at the second quarterly consultative meeting between the Independent National Electoral Commission and political party leaders at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
But another well placed party source said: ‘My own suspicion is that the resignation may be a fall out of what happened at the Gombe meeting of APC North East’.
Angry delegates had disrupted the Gombe meeting, citing alleged omission of the name of Vice President Kashim Shettima during the zone’s endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term.
Ganduje is the 6th national chairman of the APC.
He succeeded Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
Dalori, a former Borno State Chairman of the party, succeeded Senator Abubakar Kyari as Deputy National Chairman (North) following the latter’s appointment as Minister of Agriculture.
An ally of Vice President Shettima, Dalori was a five-term local government chairman, two-term member of the Borno State House of Assembly and former Special Adviser to the state governor.
He had also served as a member of Nigeria Railway Corporation Board.
A substantive national chairman is expected to emerge during the party’s convention scheduled for December.
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