Deputy National Chairman (North) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Bukar Dalori, has stepped in as the party’s acting National Chairman following the sudden resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje on Friday.
According to the APC Constitution (Section 14(2)(iii)), the Deputy National Chairman from the same zone as the outgoing chairman is expected to take over if the position becomes vacant. In this case, Dalori, who hails from the North like Ganduje, now assumes the party’s top role temporarily.
Though the reason behind Ganduje’s decision to step down remains unclear, a senior party figure confirmed the move, simply saying, “yes, it is true. He has resigned.”
Reports suggest that Ganduje’s personal items had already been cleared from his office earlier in the day, which hinted at the development even before the news broke publicly. The resignation appeared to catch many by surprise, creating confusion at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
One party insider noted that the issue of power rotation and political zoning may have played a role in Ganduje’s resignation. The source said discussions about the 2027 elections and the search for President Bola Tinubu’s possible running mate could have made Ganduje’s position as party chairman politically delicate.
“A lot of people are scheming to be picked as running mate to President Tinubu in 2027. If you check even your own media reports, many of the names being touted are from the North West. If eventually the slot is taken to the North West, the party chairman will definitely have to come from another place,” the source told VANGUARD.
It was also noted that the APC had earlier zoned the national chairmanship to the North Central region, raising the possibility of a new leader emerging from that area. One name making the rounds for the position is former Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Umar Tanko Al-Makura.
“Almakura is top on that list, as far as I know,” the insider added.
