In the past few weeks, activities at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national headquarters have reduced drastically because of the uncertainty surrounding the continuous stay of the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, in office.
The APC National Chairman has come under severe attacks to the extent that the number of party members and loyalists that visit the party secretariat have reduced.
Since the issue of Ganduje-must- go started, the Presidency is said to have taken note of party chieftains and groups that visit the Secretariat on daily bases, a party source said.
The former Kano State governor was announced by the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting as National Chairman in August last year. That was three months after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took over as President and leader of the ruling APC.
Ganduje coming, though controversial, had heralded activities at the party’s of tripling inflationary pressures, labour had made over 100 per cent shift from its last offer of NN494,000 to N250,000 as new minimum take home pay for workers in the country.
A source at the meeting who spoke to our correspondent, noted that there was no way labour would settle for N62,000 as the new minimum wage for workers.
According to the source, the recent development has only shown that the government has not learnt any lessons from the relaxed strike, as the government was still being very unserious with the welfare of Nigerians.
The source noted that the N62,000 was a mockery to the government’s claims that President Bola Tinubu was committed to establishing a National Minimum Wage that was higher than N60,000, and as such, had asked the Tripartite Committee to convene daily to finalise an agreeable National Minimum Wage by Friday.
The source who noted that a joint emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of both the NLC and TUC would be summoned to discuss the way ahead, especially as the five-day window given to relax the nationwide elapses Monday, noted that the chances of Labour not accepting N62,000 as new miniNational Secretariat.
Party chieftains, support groups, state executives, etc, had visited to pledge their support. Some also came with the challenges in their states’ party administrations. It was a new dawn for party members and staff as they considered the former National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, as too conservative to run a ruling and progressive party.
Adamu, the former Nassarawa State governor, only spent a year as a democratically elected National Chairman of APC from North Central. He was elected in June 2022.
Among his sins was that he never supported the candidature of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and did not go with the National Working Committee (NWC) to participate in the Presidential campaigns despite the huge money made from the sales of nomination and expression of interest forms. “Like Adamu, Ganduje is being suspected to be disfavoured by the Presidency,” a party source said.
“And when you are being disfavoured by the Presidency, the truth is that you are going to be shown the way out.
“The Presidency has been delayed because of the criticism that might ensue from his removal.”The party source revealed that it could result in criticism of President Tinubu’s administration, that within one year, he had used two National Chairmen for the party.
Ganduje is being accused of usurping the position of the North Central, a situation that the North Central APC stakeholders are not happy with. Also, the issue of alleged corruption is part of his sins. It was reported recently that his aides were going around to fleece political office holders.
He is also said to have lost grip of the electorate in Kano State, which is dear to the President for the 2027 general election. NNPP controls Kano State and the former Kano State Governor and political enemy of Ganduje, Rabiu Kwankwaso, controls NNPP.
Kwankwaso is considered by the Presidency to be of stronger political capital than Ganduje in Kano State and by extension North West.
The party source, speaking on what awaits the APC National Chairman, said he might be sent to the UK or any other country as an Ambassador or High Commissioner. “Any day they fix the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, that might be the last day of Ganduje as National Chairman,” he said.
