From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Palpable anxiety and shock on Friday, greeted the resignation of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Available information claimed that the former Kano State governor had tendered his letter of resignation to his National Working Committee (NWC) in the early hours of Friday, citing health reasons.
Confirming the resignation, a member of the party’s NWC told Saturday Sun that the resignation letter was already in the custody of the national leadership of the party.
Indications over his resignation filtered into the Buhari House, the national headquarters of the party, in the mid hours of Friday, when his kitchen staff started evacuating his personal belongings especially his small and large portraits.
The development created serious uncertainty and anxiety, as secretariat staff were seen standing and discussing the development in hushed tones with an admixture of joyful celebrations and sadness.
Sources close to the secretariat also told our correspondent that the presidency had directed the former Kano governor on Thursday night not only to resign but to also appear before a security formation for scrutiny.
Our source equally disclosed that the presidency has already approved the drafting of the party’s Deputy National Chairman North, Bukka Abba Dalori, to step into the position in acting capacity while the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru will be the back-up.
Sources that spoke to our correspondent hinged the development on multiple factors bothering on certain infringements.
Citing examples, some of them argued that the incident of the protests during the APC North East zonal stakeholders meeting held in Gombe State over the exclusion of the name of Vice President Kashim Shettima in the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.
The source also claimed that the alleged racketeering in the conduct of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council primary election this week was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
They claimed that despite the protest at the party’s national secretariat by loyal party members, the Ganduje-led NWC had allegedly favoured the defector aspirants that joined the party few months and weeks to the party’s primary.
Reacting to the resignation, some members of the NWC who spoke to Saturday Sun, noted that it did not come to them as a surprise, describing it as a falling tree with a warning signal. “It was long expected. But, I can say that the recent incidents like the handling of the protest during the APC North East stakeholders meeting and the complaints that trailed the recently concluded FCT Area Council primary election sealed his fate.
“Again, the chairman has started falling out with some of the state governors for one reason or the other. There is every possibility that some of the governors angry with him may have supported the move to yank him out,” a national leader of the party told our correspondent in confidence.