- When asked for comment, APC Deputy National Secretary Festus Fuanter declined to address the issue
Speculation around the possible removal of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, gained traction last week amid claims that President Bola Tinubu may offer him an ambassadorial role to sidestep ongoing corruption allegations.
What began as a rumour quickly spread on social media and online outlets, with unnamed sources within the APC and the presidency fueling the reports.
However, political analysts suggest that these rumors may be orchestrated by party figures from the North-Central region, who have pushed for the chairmanship to return to their zone since Ganduje’s predecessor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, stepped down.
This follows an incident three months ago where suspected thugs disrupted a protest by North-Central APC members outside the party’s headquarters. The protesters carried banners demanding Ganduje’s resignation and the return of the chairmanship to their region.
Adding to the tensions, a former APC chairmanship aspirant, Muhammad Etsu, has filed a legal case seeking to bar Ganduje from remaining in his role, arguing that the leadership should revert to the North-Central rather than stay in the North-West, as per the party’s current zoning arrangement.
Despite the growing speculation, the party’s Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, dismissed the notion of a leadership change. Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, Duru warned that frequent changes at the top could destabilize the party.
He said, “There must be stability in the administration of party leadership. The chairmanship has already been zoned to the North-West by the NEC with full consensus.”
When asked for comment, APC Deputy National Secretary Festus Fuanter declined to address the issue.