.As Al-Makura gets endorsement
BY MUYIWA OYINLOLA
The resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje as National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, last Friday caught many political stakeholders unaware and the party’s Deputy National Chairman (North), Alhaji Bukar Dalori, stepped in as Acting National Chairman.
Sequel to Ganduje’s resignation, the All Progressives Congress, APC, North Central Forum, yesterday, threw its weight behind former Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, as the preferred candidate to replace Ganduje as the National Chairman of the party.
The Forum’s renewed calls for the chairmanship position to return to the North Central zone is in line with the APC’s zoning arrangement.
The group in a statement titled “Why Al-Makura Deserves to be APC National Chairman”, released in Abuja, yesterday and signed by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, said endorsement of Al-Makura followed wide consultations with stakeholders across the zone.
Besides, it noted that Al-Makura’s long-standing party loyalty, wealth of political experience, and ties to the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, one of the legacy parties that formed the APC in 2013.
The statement added that “Among the three legacy parties—ACN, CPC, and ANPP—only the CPC bloc has not produced a National Chairman. Senator Tanko Al-Makura, a two-term governor and former senator, is a loyal party man who commands the respect of both past and present governors”.
Al-Makura according to the Forum is as a bridge builder with deep roots in both the executive and legislative arms of government and noted his voluntary withdrawal from the 2022 APC national chairmanship race in support of the party’s consensus decision that produced Abdullahi Adamu.
Indeed, not many saw Ganduje’s resignation coming. The 75-year-old former Kano State governor had prior to his resignation been full of life coordinating and attending a number of party activities across different states of the country.
So, when the news filtered that he had rendered his resignation as the party’s National Chairman, many were in a state of shock. Ganduje cited health concern as reason for his resignation.
Ganduje’s less than two years in office attracted members of the opposition, including two former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors into the party.
The last six of the 22 months Ganduje spent in office were those of securing second term endorsements for President Bola Tinubu.
The president within the period under review got the endorsements of APC National Assembly caucus, APC Governors’ Forum, and many more, as the sole presidential candidate of the party in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.
The permutations for the 2027 general elections and the need to seal the party’s victory at the poll may not be unconnected with why Ganduje was eased out.
Sources within the party revealed that the Kano politician had to leave the scene for Tinubu to have an inroad into the state and win it in the next election.
Recall that the state is presently under the control of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, with former governor Rabiu Kwankwaso calling the shot.
Tinubu, it was gathered had to make the move to get Kwankwaso to his side. Kwankwaso, it was reliably gathered has been approached by proponents of Coalition of political parties to join the political train to oust Tinubu.
Sources hinted that one of the conditions Kwankwaso gave that the people of Kano would not work with or join APC under the chairmanship of Ganduje.
Ganduje’s, resignation from his position has brought an abrupt end to the protracted crises his tenure was characterised with since assuming office August 2023
following the resignation of Abdullahi Adamu.
Upon assumption in office, he had to contend with agitation from the people of North Central zone who insisted on paddling the aborted tenure of the former Nasarawa State governor to the end, in line with the zoning arrangement of the party.
The abrupt end of his tenure has now reignited the agitation for the North Central zone to occupy the office. Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori, elsewhile Deputy National Chairman (North) of the party is the current acting National Chairman of the party.
Leading political gladiators in the North Central zone under consideration for party chairmanship former Nasarawa State governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura and Senator Mohammed Musa.
While Al-Makura is a former governor both Abdullahi Adamu and Ganduje, Musa is from Niger, his state has not tested the position.
As the APC looks to maintain internal balance, sticking to its zoning formula has emerged as a key determinant in the succession process.
With President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the South-West and President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio from the South-South, party leaders have resolved that the national chairmanship should remain in the North-Central geopolitical zone.
