By Oliver Okpala
When Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje emerged as the national chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC), members of the party, stakeholders, leaders and the elders heaved a sigh of relief and democratic comfort. This is because many know his antecedents as a man of honour, impeccable integrity, patience and political wisdom.
Ganduje is among the very few deputy governors who succeeded their principal, an attestation to his high level of tact, patience and wisdom. The immediate-past governor of Kano State, upon his emergence as national chairman of APC, promised to ensure a level playing field for all party members during party primaries.
At that 12th National Executive Committee meeting of the party where he emerged, he also promised to hit the ground running to ensure victory for the APC in all forthcoming governorship elections across the country.
Ganduje has therefore continued to live up to his pledges as performance has trailed his outputs as National Chairman of theAPC. Immediately he came on board he set out on a process of winning more people to the party and this has been yielding fruits with chieftains of other parties moving into the APC in droves as result of the high level of confidence that has been restored to the party.
Dr. Ganduje is driven by the knowledge that a political party is as strong as those who find accommodation in it. The quality of those who are in party are also a testament to the strength of the party. That’s is why, within this short time, he has in his kitty already former governors and other political topshots who have now joined him in the APC.
Three off-season elections were approaching when Dr. Ganduje came on the saddle. This was perhaps his first test a the national chairman of Africa’s biggest political party.
Dr. Ganduje swung into action and began to work hard to ensure that the party would come out with good records in the election. For instance, while inaugurating the campaign council for the elections, Dr. Ganduje broke away from tradition and took the inauguration to the states.
He said that move was to show that they were grassroots politicians and political party. That in itself was an indication that Dr. Ganduje, who holds a Master’s and doctorate degrees in Public Administration, is set to make the APC a grassroots-centred party in all ramifications.
The outcome of the elections has further shown that he is a political tactician and strategist. The APC’s victory in Kogi and Imo states have come with a panache exuding high democratic credentials.
No doubt, he has experience on his side as it should not be forgotten that Ganduje joined the National Party of Nigeria, NPN, during the Second Republic and served as Kano State Assistant Secretary from 1979 to 1980. He became the Kano State Commissioner of Works, Housing, and Transport in 1994. He served as deputy governor between 1999 and 2003 and from 2011 to 2015.
Dr. Ganduje, who holds a Master’s degree in Applied Educational Psychology from Bayero University University eorked his way to become Governor of Kano State in May 2015 and later won reelection in 2019 for a second term in office.
He is an experienced politician, and it is now counting for him as National Chairman of the biggest governing party in Africa. As things stand today, it is clear that the former governor, who is now at the helm of the affairs of the APC, is already repositioning and strengthening the party for the benefit of all its members.
With the vast experience of Dr. Ganduje, the conflict resolution mechanism of the APC is now enhanced to deal with internal wrangling, which are synonymous with political parties.
Clearly, Dr. Ganduje has come on board with enormous experience spanning decades in politics and governance. With him piloting the affairs of the APC, internal democracy would indeed prevail. Many party men and women are visibly excited and appreciative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the governors and other stakeholders of our party for Dr Ganduje as the APC national chairman especially at a time like this when the party must keep reinventing itself amidst growing national challenges.
Dr Ganduje’s leadership style is a unique political structure that stands out, which would keep shining even in the face of impenetrable darkness. For those in position of leadership in political parties, it would certainly do them a great deal if they can clandestinely or openly emulate the dynamic political decorum of Dr Ganduje in handling internal affairs of his party. His untraelled sense of wisdom, political sagacity, administrative acumen and managerial competence are worthy of emulation.
Mention must also be made of Dr. Ganduje’s s absolute respect and regards for the rule of law and independence of the judiciary. No wonder quite recently his party has recorded some fair judgments in the law courts as both the low, the high and the small in the party respect the courts as the final hope of the common man in the society.
As in every occasion, even in the face of open provocations amidst electoral vices, Dr Ganduje has always urged his party members to maintain a sense of political decorum and take their cases to the law courts and not take the law into their hands.
For such a man, it will be in bad faith to accuse him of having any hand in any court decision as is being peddled by the opposition in Kano and other states where the APC has recorded some fair judgements in the law courts. For a man of Ganduje’s stature in progressive climes, his house would be a political mecca of a sort where people come to drink from the fountain of knowledge and ideas without leaving any drop behind as he Ganduje believes in giving back to the society of his wisdom and experience and not asking for anything in return.
So far, Dr. Ganduje has proved himself to be a man of wisdom and great administrative acumen. With his political background and wealth of experience in governance, teeming APC members across the country have no iota of doubt that he will elevate the fortunes of the party and make it the beautiful bride ahead of 2027.
Indeed, respect, honour and loyalty are what we owe our great leaders, in the mould of Dr Umar Ganduje.
•Chief Okpala is a political analyst