By Ghazali Ibrahim
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has resigned from his position in what many describe as a strategic move to address internal discontent and restore regional balance within the ruling party.
According to an exclusive report by Daily Nigerian on Friday, Ganduje’s resignation is imminent and forms part of wider efforts by the APC leadership to appease aggrieved stakeholders from the North-Central geopolitical zone, who have long demanded the return of the party’s top office to their region.
Ganduje, the immediate past governor of Kano State, was appointed in August 2023 following the resignation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who hails from Nasarawa State in the North-Central.
His appointment had since sparked controversy, with critics arguing that it violated the APC’s zoning principles.
A senior party source told Daily Nigerian, “The pressure has been mounting for months.
Key stakeholders, especially from the North-Central, have not relented in their push to reclaim the position.
Ganduje has now agreed to step aside in the party’s interest, especially as it begins early strategies for 2027.”
The source added that one of the party’s national vice chairmen is expected to take over in an acting capacity until a substantive chairman is elected at the APC national convention scheduled for December 2025.
Ganduje’s expected resignation, though yet to be officially confirmed, is being positioned within party circles as a unifying gesture aimed at stabilizing internal dynamics.
It also aims at correcting what many have termed a political imbalance, and repositioning the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Over recent months, prominent APC members, particularly elders and zonal leaders from the North-Central, have both publicly and privately criticized the party’s leadership arrangement.
Many have insisted that the continued marginalization of their zone could weaken party cohesion and electoral prospects.
If finalized, Ganduje’s exit would be one of the most significant leadership changes in the APC since President Bola Tinubu assumed office.
As of press time, neither Dr. Ganduje nor the APC’s National Secretariat had issued an official statement regarding the development.
However, insiders suggest preparations for a formal handover are already in motion.
