NaijNaira
Supporters of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso are weighing their next move following the sudden resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje as national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), NaijNaira can report.
Ganduje’s exit comes amid claims of misconduct and internal pressure, with Leadership reporting that he was forced to step down rather than leave voluntarily.
Kwankwaso’s loyalists, known as the Kwankwasiyya Movement, said Ganduje embarrassed Kano and that his resignation was long overdue.
“Ganduje was instructed to resign. There are allegations of bribery and corruption against him,” said NNPP’s Kano chairman, Hashimu Dungurawa.
Dungurawa said Ganduje’s role in the party’s internal election scandal in Abuja exposed deeper issues, including delegate manipulation and bribery.
He also claimed Ganduje’s ouster clears a political roadblock that had made Kwankwaso’s entry into APC impossible.
Still, he stressed he could not speak for Kwankwaso on whether a defection to APC is imminent.
The APC’s spokesperson, Felix Morka, said the party’s NEC will determine Ganduje’s replacement in a meeting to be announced soon.
Morka added that discussions around zoning and leadership are ongoing, and no final decision has been made about candidates or regions.
Names circulating as likely successors include Tanko Al-Makura, George Akume, Sani Musa, and Joshua Dariye—all from the North Central.
Meanwhile, the NNPP’s national secretary, Oginni Olaposi, said the party would welcome Kwankwaso’s exit, calling it “a relief if he finally moves on.”
“He tried to hijack the NNPP and dragged it into needless litigation. APC is better equipped to handle his political baggage,” Olaposi added.
The APC North-Central Forum has formally endorsed Al-Makura for national chairman, citing his loyalty and long-standing contributions.
“Among the three legacy parties, only CPC has yet to produce a national chairman. Al-Makura fits that gap,” the Forum said.
The group noted his political journey from NPN in 1979 to serving as CPC governor and APC senator, calling him a bridge between generations.
Al-Makura previously stepped aside in 2022 to back the party’s consensus, which brought in Abdullahi Adamu as chairman.
He’s also seen as a figure of inclusion, with strong ties to Nigeria’s disability community and broad party support.
The Forum insists North Central should complete the leadership tenure initially assigned before Adamu’s resignation in 2023.
