Politics

CPC, N/Central jostle for APC national chairman after Ganduje exit

Published

9 months ago

June 30, 2025

CPC, N/Central jostle for APC national chairman after Ganduje exit

Barely three days after Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje stepped down as national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc within the party has begun pushing to fill the vacancy.

Multiple sources within the bloc told Daily Trust yesterday that the CPC faction is agitating for the chairmanship in the name of fairness and justice.

Ganduje resigned on Friday via a letter submitted to the party’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, citing ill health. His resignation was formally confirmed in a statement on Saturday by APC National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka.

However, credible sources told Daily Trust that a key reason Ganduje resigned was that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had finalised plans for the defection of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State and longtime rival of Ganduje, into the APC. While serving as governor, Ganduje was known to have virtually barred Kwankwaso from entering Kano.

Since his resignation, the APC has witnessed renewed calls from the North Central, particularly the CPC bloc, for the chairmanship to be zoned to the region.

Daily Trust reports that the APC was formed in 2013 through the merger of legacy parties including the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP).

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Recently, some CPC members criticised the APC leadership for allegedly sidelining the bloc. Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, a key CPC figure, recently quit the APC in protest and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Yesterday, the North Central APC Forum endorsed former Nasarawa State governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, the only CPC governor from 2011 to 2019, to succeed Ganduje.

In a statement signed by the forum’s chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the group said its endorsement followed wide consultations among stakeholders in the region. It argued that Al-Makura hails from the same state as former chairman Abdullahi Adamu, who was forced to resign before completing his tenure, and that the CPC bloc remains the only major legacy group yet to produce a national chairman.

The forum also described Al-Makura as a loyal party man who had accepted the consensus candidacy of Adamu during the 2022 APC National Convention without dissent. It said he possesses the clout, loyalty, and experience necessary to lead the party, and enjoys respect among serving and former governors alike.

Zazzaga added that Al-Makura has handled key party assignments in the past, giving him deep insight into the party’s workings nationwide.

Speaking to Daily Trust yesterday, a North East APC chieftain, Barrister Abdullahi Jalo, said the chairmanship should go to the North Central and the CPC bloc, noting that Al-Makura was widely tipped to take over from Ganduje. He described the agitation as “real and legitimate,” adding that “the APC will not make a mistake.”

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In a separate interview, elder statesman and former presidential candidate, Chief Chekwas Okorie, also backed the North Central, saying the region had long felt marginalised since Adamu was replaced by Ganduje.

“The North-Central has not been quiet in expressing their alienation from that office. When Ganduje took over, it felt like a sidelining of the region. It’s only fair to return the chairmanship there,” he said.

Similarly, members of the defunct CPC in the 7th National Assembly held a meeting in Abuja, calling on President Tinubu to address what they described as continued marginalisation of their bloc within the APC. At a press conference, former House of Representatives member Aliyu Gebi said the CPC group had been unfairly excluded from party leadership and deserved proper recognition.

“We cannot sit here and pretend marginalisation doesn’t exist,” Gebi said. “We were thrown out of a vehicle that we created.”

Others at the meeting included Senator Ibrahim Musa, Hon. Sanusi Aliyu, Hon. Mohammed Tukur, Senator Ahmed Sani, Hon. Ibrahim Chachangi, Hon. Yusuf Bala, and the APC National Vice Chairman (North West), Hon. Garuba Datti.

CPC, N/Central jostle for APC national chairman after Ganduje exit

Daily Trust

Related Topics:APC CPC Featured Ganduje National Chairman

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Politics

Aiyedatiwa Sacks All Political Aides, Plans 1,000 New Appointments

Published

4 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Trends Admin

Ondo State Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa

Aiyedatiwa Sacks All Political Aides, Plans 1,000 New Appointments

Ondo State Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has terminated the appointments of all his political aides, including Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs), in a bold move aimed at enhancing governance efficiency and deepening service delivery. The decision was announced in Akure by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, on Monday.

According to the statement, the sack affects all political appointees serving under the governor, who was elected in 2025. The governor thanked the outgoing aides for their service and wished them well in their future endeavours. The mass disengagement comes amid a broader effort to strengthen administration at the grassroots level, ahead of the 2027 elections.

To replace the dismissed aides, Governor Aiyedatiwa announced plans to appoint about 1,000 new political aides drawn from all 203 wards across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State. These new aides are expected to serve as community liaisons, administrative support officers, and coordination aides, improving citizen engagement and service delivery throughout the state.

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Resignations Ahead of APC Primaries

In line with INEC regulations for electoral participation, several political appointees have submitted resignation letters to pursue elective offices in the 2027 general elections. These include:

Hon. Gbenga Omole, Special Adviser on Transport
Hon. Fadairo Oluwafemi, SSA on Community Engagement (Central)
Dr. Olusegun Victor Ategbole, Chairman, Ondo State Hospital Management Board
Engr. Razaq Obe, Director General, Performance and Project Implementation Monitoring Unit (PPIMU)
Hon. Adeola Fynch, Secretary, Akure South Local Government, effective March 20, 2026

Notably, Hon. Adeola Fynch resigned to contest for the Akure South Constituency 1 seat in the State House of Assembly under the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform. Resignations were formally tendered through the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti.

Implications for Governance

Observers say the shake-up reflects Aiyedatiwa’s intent to broaden representation, strengthen local governance, and inject fresh capacity into the state administration. By recruiting aides from every ward, the governor aims to enhance grassroots engagement and ensure efficient delivery of public services.

Analysts, however, caution that integrating a large number of new aides may require significant orientation and coordination to maintain continuity in governance and policy implementation.

This sweeping restructuring highlights the government’s focus on accountability, community involvement, and electoral compliance, positioning Ondo State for stronger administrative performance in the lead-up to the 2027 elections.

Aiyedatiwa Sacks All Political Aides, Plans 1,000 New Appointments

Politics

Court Sacks Turaki-Led PDP Executives, Orders Security to Back Wike Camp

Published

5 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Trends Admin

Court Sacks Turaki-Led PDP Executives, Orders Security to Back Wike Camp

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened significantly after a Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a decisive judgment that reshapes the party’s leadership battle.

In a ruling on Tuesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik barred the Kabiru Turaki-led faction from accessing the PDP national secretariat and declared the party’s controversial Ibadan convention null and void.

The court held that the convention, conducted in Ibadan between November 15 and 16, 2025, violated existing court orders and contravened the provisions of both the PDP constitution and the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.

According to the judgment, the convention breached Section 287(3) of the Constitution, which mandates strict compliance with judicial decisions. Justice Abdulmalik emphasised that no political group or institution is above the law, declaring that all resolutions, leadership appointments, and decisions reached at the gathering are “null and void.”

The court further directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise any outcomes from the invalidated convention. This effectively strips the Turaki-led executives of any legal authority within the PDP.

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In a related directive, the court ordered security agencies—including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services—to ensure that the faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has unhindered access to the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.

The suit was filed on November 21, 2025, by Mohammed Abdulrahman and Samuel Anyanwu, who identified themselves as interim national chairman and secretary of the party. Backed by Wike’s camp, they challenged the legitimacy of the Ibadan convention and sought to stop the Turaki faction from acting on behalf of the PDP.

Delivering her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik also invalidated disciplinary actions taken during the convention, including the suspension and expulsion of party members loyal to the plaintiffs. She described those moves as unlawful and carried out in defiance of subsisting court orders.

The court stressed that political parties must operate within their constitutions and obey judicial rulings, warning that any attempt to undermine the rule of law threatens democratic stability.

With this judgment, the Wike-aligned faction appears to have gained a significant legal advantage in the ongoing PDP leadership crisis, although the Turaki camp may still challenge the decision at the appellate courts.

The ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications for the opposition party as it navigates internal divisions ahead of future political contests.

Court Sacks Turaki-Led PDP Executives, Orders Security to Back Wike Camp

Politics

Wike Mocks Peter Obi, Says He ‘Ran Away’ From Labour Party Crisis

Published

1 day ago

March 30, 2026

Trends Admin

Former Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate Peter Obi and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike

Wike Mocks Peter Obi, Says He ‘Ran Away’ From Labour Party Crisis

Abuja, Nigeria — Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has sharply criticised former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi, accusing him of lacking leadership courage and commitment to manage internal party crises. Wike’s remarks came during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2026 National Convention held at Moshood Abiola National Stadium on Sunday, March 29, 2026.

Addressing delegates, Wike drew a parallel between Obi’s defection from the Labour Party and the recent departure of some PDP governors to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Leadership is not an easy task. Leadership requires courage. Leadership requires firmness. Leadership requires commitment,” Wike said. “When crisis came in the Labour Party, it was time it was required for him to show leadership. He ran away because he could not solve problems.”

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Wike criticised both Obi and the defecting PDP governors, claiming they had shown a fundamental absence of the qualities required to lead during challenging political moments.

“The presidential candidate of the Labour Party was given a platform to pursue his ambition. But when challenges arose, he abandoned it. The same thing applies to some governors who ran away when crises emerged,” he added.

Obi’s Political Realignment

Peter Obi, who finished third in the 2023 presidential election behind President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, officially left the Labour Party in 2025 and joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Since then, he has become a key figure in a growing opposition coalition that includes Atiku, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, all positioning to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

Wike’s comments highlight the intensifying political rivalry within Nigeria’s opposition and reflect ongoing debates about leadership, loyalty, and party realignment as the country prepares for its next election cycle.