Ganduje Resigns as APC National Chairman Amidst Rumours of Kwankwaso’s Defection to Ruling Part

Abdullahi Ganduje has officially stepped down as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), ending a brief and controversial tenure that began less than a year ago.

Ganduje, who previously served as Governor of Kano State from 2015 to 2023, submitted his resignation on Friday. His departure comes amid growing speculation of a major political realignment that could see his longtime rival, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, return to the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Sources within the APC have confirmed that President Bola Tinubu is quietly pursuing a strategic reconciliation with Kwankwaso, a former presidential candidate under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Insiders suggest that this move played a significant role in prompting Ganduje’s resignation, though official confirmation remains elusive.

“Between me and you, it is true, but I can’t confirm officially—and please don’t quote me,” a senior party official told Journalist.

In the interim, one of the party’s national vice chairmen is expected to assume the role of acting chairman, pending the APC’s national convention scheduled for December 2025.

Notably, Ganduje’s resignation came just hours after leading the party’s National Working Committee on a condolence visit to Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State, following recent floods and persistent banditry in the region.

Appointed in August 2023 by the APC National Executive Committee (NEC), Ganduje’s leadership faced constant hurdles, including legal challenges, internal factionalism, and friction within the Kano APC chapter—much of it rooted in his enduring feud with Kwankwaso.

Though Ganduje cited health concerns in his letter, he had participated in public events as recently as Thursday, including the second quarterly consultative meeting between INEC and political parties in Abuja, alongside APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru.

His exit marks a significant turning point for the party, as attention now turns to Kwankwaso—a figure with formidable grassroots support in the North. If brought into the APC fold, Kwankwaso’s involvement could dramatically shift the political dynamics in Kano and beyond as the race toward 2027 begins to take shape.