APC confirms Ganduje’s resignation as Tinubu picks Dalori as acting Chairman

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has confirmed the resignation of its national chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, a former Governor of Kano State. On Friday, June 27, 2025, Ganduje announced his resignation to the party, citing health concerns as the reason for his departure from the position. Reacting to the development in a statement on Friday night, Felix Morka, the national publicity secretary of the APC, confirmed Ganduje’s resignation. According to Morka, the resignation, which takes immediate effect, was to enable the former chairman to attend to “urgent and important” personal matters. ALSO READ: There’s nothing wrong with a one-party state- Ganduje His resignation letter was addressed to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) through Ajibola Basiru, the National Secretary. “Throughout his tenure, he dedicated himself to strengthening the party’s unity and cohesion, expounding its democratic ideals and enhancing the party’s electoral competitiveness,” the statement reads. “The confidence placed in him by the party’s NEC and national caucus meetings in February 2025 was a profound recognition and honour for his service. “He leaves his position as national chairman with great pride in our collective achievements, including successful defections from opposition parties and legal affirmations of our party leadership’s legitimacy.” Tinubu asks Dalori to take over as acting APC chairman Meanwhile, sources indicate that President Bola Tinubu has directed Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori, the Deputy National Chairman (North), to assume the role of acting National Chairman immediately. The President also instructed the acting chairman to urgently convene a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to fill the leadership vacancy formally. With the emergence of Dalori, Morka assured party members that the ruling party remains focused on delivering on the promises of the Renewed Hope Agenda under President Tinubu’s leadership. Meanwhile, there have been speculations that Tinubu sacrificed Ganduje to pave the way for the return of former Kano State Governor and New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to the APC. ALSO READ: Ganduje declares NNPP ‘dead’ as Kwankwaso plots APC return In recent months, NNPP lawmakers, including senators and members of the House of Representatives, have been defecting to the ruling party, indicating a significant political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections. Kwankwaso has been touted as a potential replacement for Kashim Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate in 2027, and the party has refused to rule out the possibility of the President choosing a new vice presidential candidate.