How Ex-Kano Gov, Abdullahi Ganduje Was Tipped As APC National Chair

The immediate past Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje has been tipped as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to Daily Trust, Ganduje met with President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa on Wednesday with three governors who are members of the APC.

Reports say if there are no last-minute changes, the former governor, 73 will be named as the interim national chairman of the party, pending the conduct of the convention of the party later in the year.

Kanyi Daily on Monday, reported that Senator Abdullahi Adamu tendered his resignation as the national chairman of the ruling party.

Iyiola Omisore also resigned as the national secretary of the party.

Ganduje is set to take over from Senator Abubakar Kyari who was named as the acting national chairman on Monday. Kyari, who hails from Borno State, is the deputy national chairman of the party (North).

President Bola Tinubu, reports say, had upon his return from the African Union (AU) meeting in Kenya on Monday, indicated interest in making Ganduje the party chairman.

As a result of that, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, who is the chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), was contacted to get the buy-in of his colleagues and other critical stakeholders.

Uzodinma met with Ganduje on Tuesday, and yesterday, they both met President Tinubu along with Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun.

At the meeting, a presidency source said the choice of Ganduje was sealed.  Thereafter, the president, three governors, and Ganduje met with Vice President Kashim Shettima.

A source was quoted to have said, “It was on Monday that the issue of making Ganduje the chairman of the party started when the chairman of the PGF met with him in Abuja. Uzodinma told the former Kano State governor of the president’s intention to make him the party’s chairman.”

The issue, the source noted, was finalised yesterday when the president met Ganduje together with the three governors.

“From all indications, the issue is sealed. He would first be announced as the interim national chairman before the convention of the party, where his appointment would be ratified,” the source added.

With this, the party’s plum seat has moved from the North Central geopolitical zone where Senator Adamu hailed from, whose resignation ignited lobbying by chieftains of the party in his geopolitical zone.

In other news, the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Wednesday, cleared the air on the rumour that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola had a telephone conversation with President Bola Tinubu on the ongoing Presidential Election Petition over the 2023 election.

The apex court said Ariwoola did not speak with Tinubu or anyone else.