APC leadership crisis: Ganduje’s emergence as APC N’Chair sparks reactions
…National Legal Adviser, El-Marzuk resigns
…Ex-Senate Spokesman ratified as National Secretary
…Don’t fall asleep, promote unity, peace, love —Tinubu charges party leadership
…I’ll hit the ground running, win Imo, Kogi, Bayelsa elections — Ganduje pledges
…PDP mocks APC, says Ganduje is ethically challenged
By Moses Adeniyi & Joel Oladele
The emergence of the immediate past Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has generated mixed reactions.
Ganduje’s appointment followed his confirmation by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ruling party, a decision that was taken barely an hour after President Bola Tinubu arrived at Transcorp Hilton, venue of the 12th NEC meeting held Thursday in Abuja.
The NEC also appointed Senator Basiru Ajibola, the spokesperson for the 9th Senate, as National Secretary.
Basiru, who represented Osun Central Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly and was Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, replaced Senator Iyiola Omisore, a former Deputy Governor of Osun State.
The resignation of Adamu and Omisore was clouded with controversy, as it was reported they resigned under pressure to do so from the President, though top officials of the party later debunked the claim, stating they resigned out of will.
Meanwhile, though Ganduje’s emergence as party chair was received with dances and songs by scores of travelling supporters who trooped to the national headquarters of the party in excitement to await his arrival on Thursday afternoon, his emergence as the National chairman of the ruling party was greeted with mixed reactions.
Following the announcement of their appointments, supporters of Ganduje and Basiru broke into wild jubilation.
…National Legal Adviser tows Adamu, Omisore’s path, resigns
However, not long after the emergence of Ganduje, the party’s National Legal Adviser, Ahmed El-Marzuk, resigned from the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) towing the path of Abdullahi Adamu and Iyiola Omisore.
Recall that El-Marzuk had recommended the expulsion of former National Vice Chairman for Northwest, Mallam Salihu Lukman, over his decision to take the party and his leadership to court.
El-Marzuq’s suggestion was contained in a leaked ‘legal opinion’ written to Adamu dated 28th April, 2023.
Lukman had after much controversies tendered his resignation late last month.
El-Marzuq’s resignation on Wednesday marked the fourth after the exit of Adamu.
…Don’t fall asleep, promote unity, peace, love – Tinubu charges party leadership
Meanwhile following the development, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday charged the leadership of the party not to fall asleep, mentioning that doing so would be dangerous as they are drivers having in their vehicles passengers who must be safely driven to destination.
The President advised elected officials of the party to be steadfastly committed to good governance which will re-engineer the economic and political landscape of the nation.
Tinubu gave his advice at the 12th (NEC) meeting of the party which produced Ganduje and Senator Ajibola as the new National Chairman and National Secretary respectively.
He emphasised the need for the party leaders to pay good attention to building party loyalty, as well as to “promote unity, peace, and love.”
On the main agenda of the NEC meeting, which appointed new External Auditors to audit party accounts and filled the vacant offices of National Chairman and National Secretary, the President urged the NEC of the party to devolve some of its powers to the National Working Committee (NWC) to fill other vacancies in the party.
This request was sequel to a motion moved by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and seconded by Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, who doubles as the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF).
The President had noted that during the last NEC meeting of April 20, 2022, the NEC of the party had ceded some of its powers to NWC for the smooth party operations and he thanked them for effectively utilising that mandate.
In his welcome address, the Acting National Chairman, Sen. Abubakar Kyari said the ruling party was conscious of the new challenges facing it as the majority party at the sub-national level and in the National Assembly.
…I’ll hit the ground running, win Imo, Kogi, Bayelsa — Ganduje
Meanwhile, following his appointment as National Chairman of the ruling party, Ganduje pledged he will hit the ground running to ensure the victory of the ruling party in the forthcoming governorship election in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States respectively.
Ganduje gave the assurance during his acceptance speech as the party’s chair after his emergence.
The two term former governor of Kano State said he will get to work immediately to ensure the victory of the ruling party in the November 11, 2023 governorship polls in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa.
Addressing party leaders after his emergence, Ganduje thanked President Bola Tinubu and promised that internal democracy would prevail in the party during his tenure.
Ganduje pledged to ensure a scientific register of party members and pay utmost attention to election management and conflict resolution.
According to him, there would be level playing field for all party members during party primaries.
Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi are three of the eight States with off-season governorship elections due to past litigations and court judgements. Others are Anambra, Edo, Ekiti, Osun and Ondo.
In the general elections earlier this year, the APC won the presidential poll and 16 state governorship polls leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 10, the Labour Party (LP) with one state and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) also with a State.
Ganduje was known to have lost Kano to the Rabiu Kwankwaso New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), which won the State both for the presidential and governorship elections.
For governorship election, NNPP’s Yusuf Kabir and ally of the party’s presidential candidate, Kwankwaso, defeated Ganduje’s protege, Nasir Gawuna.
Kabir polled 1,019,602 votes to defeat his closest contender, Gawuna, of the APC who polled 890,705 votes. In the February 25 poll, the APC also lost to the NNPP as Kwankwaso won the State.
For the November 11, 2023 governorship poll in Kogi, the APC is fielding a former Auditor General of Local Government in the state, Usman Ododo.
In Bayelsa, the party is fielding the immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, while incumbent Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, is vying for a second term in office.
…Abbas congratulates Ganduje, Basiru
Following their emergence as National Chairman and Secretary of the party, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, on Thursday congratulated Ganduje and Basiru respectively.
In a press statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, the Speaker said he believes Ganduje has all it takes to take APC to higher level, noting that the former Kano State governor is a consummate politician who comes on board with a lot of experience.
He said Ganduje’s emergence as the APC National Chairman is a testament of his years of dedication and commitment to the party.
Abbas commended the leadership of the APC for reaching the decision on the new national chairman and the national secretary, noting that the party has set a great example of internal democracy for other political parties in the country.
The Speaker tasked the new leaders of the APC to work towards unifying the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and the entire party as well as mobilising more support for the President Bola Tinubu administration.
As a loyal party member, the Speaker said, he looks forward to working with the new national chairman and the entire members of the APC NWC.
…PDP mocks APC, says Ganduje is ethically challenged
Meanwhile, opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has mocked the ruling APC, over its choice of Ganduje as its National Chairman.
The party knocked the APC for choosing a person it described as “ethically challenged” as Chairman.
The party in a statement on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, said, “The choice of Dr. Ganduje by the APC as its National Chairman, in spite of all allegations against him in the public domain, further confirms that the APC is a cesspit of corruption.
“It also underscores APC’s impunity and insensitivity to the demands of honesty, integrity and moral rectitude required of public office holders.”
