There are indications that some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee have kicked against President Bola Tinubu’s reported choice of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje as the party’s substantive chairman.
NWC members who are at odds with the choice have knocked President Tinubu wondering why he decided to bring Ganduje into the APC leadership when he cannot accommodate the former governor in his cabinet.
APC’s deputy spokesman, Yekini Nabena, expressed reservations about the issue, noting that the emergence of the next national chairman would be decided by vote.
“Ganduje cannot just be made as the next substantive chairman. Of course, there has to be a mini-convention. If that’s what the president wants, he has to talk to the governors. He will be voted for at the national convention of they want him there,” Nabena told Punch.
“Definitely, his coming will divide the system (NWC) because if it is zoned to the North-Central, why take it out of the region? As I said before, and I am still saying it, you will spend all your time patching things if the foundation is wrong. And the house will keep getting cracks. Those are the cracks we are seeing.
“If you cannot accommodate somebody in your cabinet, why bring him into the party leadership? It will cause more problems. And if the party is not ready to work with you, they may decide not to call for a mini-convention. It is only the party chairman and secretary that have a right o call for a convention. Well, we are waiting for the appropriate time. As I said, once you get the foundation wrong, you will continue to fight to amend it.”
Some other NWC members who spoke on conditions of anonymity rejected the Progressives Governors Forum’s alleged decision to back Ganduje.
They insist that the office of the party’s national chairman has to be zoned to the North-Central geopolitical zone. Ganduje is from the North-West zone.
One of them said: “Our thinking is that some persons are trying to play Ganduje’s card into the mind of the president. The North-West should not be seen struggling for the party’s leadership after being compensated with the Speaker of House of Reps and Deputy Senate President. Why else should they be clamouring for the position of APC national chairman?”
