Indications have emerged that Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was compelled to resign as national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ganduje, a former Governor of Kano State, reportedly tendered his resignation letter yesterday, citing health reasons.

However, reliable sources, who spoke to Weekend Trust, linked Ganduje’s resignation to permutations ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The sources confirmed that the head of one of the security agencies was at Ganduje’s residence around 2 a.m. on Friday to demand his resignation letter.

“We are all shocked. We didn’t see it coming,” said a source close to the former chairman.

The source also disclosed that a Governor from the North East who has been very active in the party and a prominent politician from the North West who is very close to the President visited Ganduje yesterday “apparently to console him.”

Meanwhile, earlier yesterday, Ganduje led members of the party’s National Working Committee, NEC, on a condolence visit to the Niger State Governor,Mohammed Umaru Bago at the state’s liaison office in Abuja, over the devastating Mokwa flood and bandit attacks in Mariga LGA on the State.

The visit is believed to be the last offcial function he performed as national chairman of the APC.

With Ganduje’s exit, attention has shifted to the North Central for his replacement, with the spotlight on three prominent figures: Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, Senator George Akume and Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, also known as 313.

A founding APC member and former Governor of Nasarawa State, Al-Makura is viewed as Tinubu’s loyalist. He was believed to have played a central role in the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc during the 2013 merger that birthed the APC.

Senator Akume, who is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) is seen as a loyalist and associate of President Tinubu, having served as Governor of Benue State the same time the President served as Governor of Lagos State.

Senator Musa, who represents Niger East Senatorial District and had previously contested the party’s chairmanship, is also a close ally of the President. Musa is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.

However, analysts say the trio face a structural challenge: the fact that APC Governors currently lead their respective States. Since Governors are traditionally recognised as party leaders in their States, this dynamics may complicate the trio’s chances.

Kwankwaso’s expected return to APC a deciding factor

Regarding the motive behind the move, one of the sources linked it to reports that the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, whom Tinubu is perceived to have long courted, was considering joining the opposition coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

“You know Kwankwaso gave the President one condition for rejoining the APC: Ganduje’s removal as national chairman. With Ganduje in charge, Kwankwaso couldn’t assume party leadership in Kano,” the source said.

“We learnt that the President was informed that Kwankwaso had been approached by the Atiku-led coalition and was already considering the offer. That may have triggered Ganduje’s removal,” the source added.

Another source, who also confirmed the Kwankwaso factor, said the upcoming APC congress likely influenced the decision.

According to him, Tinubu may have realised that retaining Ganduje would make it harder to bring Kwankwaso and other political heavyweights from various States into the APC. Without state structures to offer, these figures would be unlikely to join.

@Weekend Trust