By Ayo Yusuf
Two weeks after the resignation of senator Abdullahi Adamu as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on July 16 2023, the National Executive Committee, NEC of the party has confirmed the appointment of the immediate-past Governor of Kano state, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje as his replacement.
The NEC, which took the decision at its 12th meeting on Thursday in Abuja, also appointed Senator Basiru Ajibola as National Secretary to replace senator Iyiola Omisore who resigned together with Mr. Adamu.
The previous day on Wednesday , the Osun State chapter of the party had described Mr. Bashiru as the best person to succeed Senator Omisore as national secretary.
The chapter, led by Tajudeen Lawal, endorsed the Osogbo-born politician, ahead of today’s ratification by the National Executive Council (NEC).
Dr. Ganduje’s adoption, came after widespread speculations that President Tinubu had chosen him as the next chairman of the party. This has led to some disagreement as the party’s National Vice Chairman for North-West Malam Salihu Lukman recently resigned over the matter. He said he was leaving until President Bola Tinubu and other leaders of the party, “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.”
Mr. Lukman had explained in an earlier letter to the Progressive Governors Forum that replacing Mr. Adamu who is from the North-central with Mr. Ganduje who hails from Kano in the North-west not only messes up the party’s zoning formular but is a patent injustice against the former especially as the latter already boasts both the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Senate President.
Mr. Lukman submitted his resignation letter to the acting National Chairman of the party, Senator Abubakar Kyarijust one week after the resignations of Senators Adamu and Iyiola Omisore, as the APC National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
In the copy of the letter seen by our correspondent, Mr. Lukman wrote, “Your Excellency, I hereby kindly resign my position as National Vice Chairman, North-West of our great party, the All Progressives Congress. 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.”
The appointment of Mr Ganduje therefore came as no surprise to observers who have noted the close relationship he enjoyed with the president.
