The choice of former Kano state Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the next national chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Wednesday received further boost, with chairmen from the seven states of North-west geographical zone endorsing his candidature.
The development is coming at a time the National Vice Chairman (North-west), Salihu Mohd Lukman resigned his position as a member of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s support for Ganduje as the next APC chairman, Lukman warned against the former governor’s choice on the ground that with Abdullahi Adamu’s resignation, the replacement should naturally come from the North-central.
Lukman’s position
Lukman has consistently opposed Ganduje’s choice and warned the president and the APC governors against settling for the former Kano state governor for the purpose of fairness and justice.
He specifically told Tinubu and the APC governors to respect the agreed zoning formula in the party which ceded the national chairmanship to the North-central.
According to Lukman, restoring constitutional order to APC would require some demonstration of commitment to give life to the statutory organs of the party so that the debate about replacing the national chairman and all existing vacancies, including that of the national secretary would be done within the structures of the party.
“We must therefore appeal to all those sponsoring this campaign to nominate Dr. Ganduje for the position of APC National Chairman, especially His Excellency, Hope Uzodinma, Chairman, Progressive Governors Forum to come to order and allow due process within the party to take its rightful course in the selection process of who become the next APC National Chairman.
“Nobody, including the PGF, should be allowed to seek to entrench arbitrariness and injustice in the determination of who emerges as the next National Chairman of APC. We must remind everyone, including President Asiwaju Tinubu that so far, the agreed zoning formula in APC cede the position of National Chairman of the party to North Central,” Lukman had said.
The North-west endorsement
Notwithstanding his counter position, the northwest state chairmen met in Kaduna, Lukman’s home state to announce their support for Ganduje.
In a communiqué at the end of the meeting, they said their decision was based on Ganduje’s immense contributions to the success and development of the APC.
The six-paragraph communiqué was signed by all the seven North-west states chairmen, namely; Hon. Isa Sadiq Acida (Sokoto state), retired Air Commodore Emmanuel K. Jekada (Kaduna state), Hon. Abubakar Muhammad Kana (Kebbi state), Prince Abdullahi Abbas (Kano state), Hon. Aminu Sani Gumel (Jigawa state), Hon. Tukur Umar Danfulani (Zamfara state) and Hon. Muhammad Sani Ali from Katsina state.
According to them, Ganduje sojourned the whole country during the 2023 general elections, making immense contributions, which saw to the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria’s President.
In the communiqué, the party chairmen said: “We the State Chairmen of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the seven states comprising Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Jigawa that made up the North-west Geopolitical Zone of the country rising from a meeting held in Kaduna on Tuesday, 25/07/2023, unanimously endorsed Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the National Chairman of the party.
“This decision followed the immense contributions made to the party by the two terms governor of the second most populous state in the nation, Kano, especially at the 2023 general election which saw the emergence of our most enviable President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President.
“It is on record that Dr. Ganduje sojourned the whole country making contacts and convincing Nigerians on what Nigeria and Nigerians stand to benefit should Tinubu emerge as president.
“We as leaders of the ruling party in our respective states have also gone through every step of good reasons and came to the conclusion and conviction that based on qualification, wealth of experience, maturity, steadfastness, commitment and resilience, Ganduje is the best person for the exalted office of chairman of the party, not only from the zone but in the country.
“Our continued appreciation will be undaunted to the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the special recognition he has always accorded the zone, the people and the party at all times. The North West zone will always be with the president as he marches towards making Nigeria greater.”
Lukman resigns
And in what appears a protest, Lukman tendered his resignation from the party’s NWC to avoid being a distraction to the Tinubu administration.
Tendering his resignation Wednesday through a letter addressed to the acting National Chairman of the party, dated July 26, 2033, Lukman said, he would remain a member of the party with the hope that President Tinubu would retract from acts he described as unjust and illegal.
The letter appreciated the APC leaders in Kaduna, especially former Governor Nasir el-Rufai and others.
The letter reads: “I hereby kindly resign my position as National Vice Chairman, North-West of our great party. All Progressives Congress (APC). My resignation is with immediate effect, which becomes necessary given my conviction that the atmosphere in the party is completely at variance with the founding vision of forming a progressive party.
“Rather than remaining in the leadership of the party and become a source of distraction for leaders and especially for the young government of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it is better to excuse myself and take time off from politics.
“I will, however, retain my membership of the party in the hope that our leaders, especially President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will retract from acts that will be unjust and illegal, which is crucial to any claim of being democratic or progressive whether as politicians or as patriotic Nigerians.
“I wish to convey my sincere gratitude to our leaders in Kaduna, especially Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai for finding me worthy of nomination to serve at the highest level of the party’s leadership. I do hope all our leaders will appreciate that I am left with no option in the circumstance. I wish the party and all our leaders, especially President Asiwaju Bold Ahmed Tinubu all the best and will continue to give my modest support towards the success of the party from the background.”
