The troubling times for the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Abdullahi Ganduje, are far from over as protesters have taken over the national secretariat of the party demanding that he resigns his position due to suspension and accusations of fraud levelled against him.
The protesters, bearing various banners with inscriptions, ‘Ganduje must resign’ and ‘Return the APC chairmanship to North Central’, changed anti-Ganduje slogans and urged the president, Bola Tinubu to force Ganduje out of office.
They also appealed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to ensure that the North Central takes over the leadership of the party.
Leader of the group, Mohammed Mahmud Saba, “We the North Central APC Concerned Stakeholders have resolved to unanimously agitate for our right and reclaim our mandate which was handed unto us by the National Convention of our great Party in 2022.
“Various sections of our constitution have established the procedure of replacing an executive member at all levels of the party in the event of death, resignation, incapacitation or expulsion from the party by any executive member.
“It is a fact that the emergence of Dr. Umar Ganduje as national chairman was done against the spirit and soul of the APC which is the constitution of our great party.
“This singular act has impacted negatively on us as a people in the North Central. We feel betrayed and spited because we gave His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the third highest votes after North West and South West in the country which put us in a better position to enjoy the fruit of our labour.
“We, therefore, demand that Dr Umar Ganduje resign immediately and stop parading himself as the National Chairman of our great party; the zoning arrangements made by the National Convention in 2022, which zoned the office of the national chairman to the North Central be respected by the NEC and all other organs of the party and that all governors elected on the platform of the APC in the North Central should wake up from their slumber and mobilise their members against this impunity until Ganduje resigns as the national chairman.”
Two days ago the Forum of APC State Chairmen passed a vote of confidence on Ganduje and backed him to remain as national chairman.
The delegation of 37 state chairmen gave the endorsement during a solidarity visit to the national secretariat of the party.
The embattled former Kano State Governor was a few weeks ago suspended by the Ganduje Ward following his indictment by the Kano State Government on alleged graft.
A Kano State High Court affirmed the suspension, a decision that it has lifted following another order from the Federal High Court Kano that nullified the suspension.