The All Progressives Congress (APC) has appointed its Deputy National Chairman (North), Ali Bukar Dalori, as the Acting National Chairman following the sudden resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Ganduje, a former Kano State governor, stepped down from the party’s top leadership position on Thursday, bringing his turbulent tenure to an abrupt end.
Resignation to attend to ‘urgent personal matters’
Confirming the development, APC spokesman Felix Morka said Ganduje’s resignation was “with immediate effect” and was prompted by pressing personal matters.
“His resignation, which is effective immediately, was offered to enable him attend to urgent and important personal matters,” Morka said.
In the resignation letter submitted to the National Working Committee (NWC) through the party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, Ganduje expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for entrusting him with such a high-level responsibility.
“Ganduje expressed gratitude to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Tinubu, for the opportunity to serve the party at the highest level,” Morka added.
Tinubu moves swiftly to name interim successor
President Tinubu, in response to the resignation, directed Dalori to step in as Acting National Chairman.
The party is expected to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting soon to formally ratify a substantive replacement.
Dalori, who hails from the North-East, is expected to steer the party through a delicate transition phase pending further decisions by the NEC.
Zoning tensions behind the scenes
Ganduje’s tenure was marked by internal wrangling and pushback, particularly over his controversial emergence as chairman in August 2023.
His appointment was seen by some party members as a breach of APC’s zoning arrangement, which many argued should have allowed the North Central zone to retain the position after Abdullahi Adamu’s resignation.
The discontent simmered through his tenure, feeding into factional tension within the party, especially in Kano State where Ganduje struggled to retain dominance.
Ganduje’s post-chairmanship future already taking shape
Despite his exit from the APC leadership, Ganduje’s political journey appears far from over. In January 2025, President Tinubu appointed him as the Chairman of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
He has also been tipped for a non-career ambassadorial position, further underlining his enduring relevance within the Tinubu administration.
Ganduje’s resignation and Dalori’s emergence come at a time when the party is reportedly wooing Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Ganduje’s political arch-rival, in a broader realignment strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
