Politics

Kano APC crisis: Tinubu to meet Ganduje as feud threatens 2023 ‘ambition’

Published

5 years ago

December 7, 2021

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje

In a move to save his presidential ambition, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is set to meet Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over the crisis rocking the party in Kano State.

Tinubu had on Sunday met with Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, whose camp has been having a running battle with Ganduje over the control of the party structures in the state.

The former Lagos State governor singled out the leaders of the warring factions in Kano for reconciliation at a time when the just concluded congresses of the party had triggered a crisis in 13 states.

The meeting between Tinubu and Shekarau had raised dust in Kano, regarded as the votes’ bank of the ruling party.

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The congresses had polarised APC in the state into two with the governor’s camp being chaired by Abdullahi Abbas while Shekarau’s faction has Ahmadu Haruna Danzago as chairman.

The crisis reached its crescendo last Tuesday when an FCT high court gave a judgement upholding the parallel congress held by the Shekarau-led faction and voided the Governor Ganduje faction.

The battle between the camps assumed a violent posture on Thursday when thugs torched the campaign office of Senator Jibrin I. Barau. A petition has since been written to the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, indicting top shots in the governor’s camp including its chairman.

The camp loyal to Governor Ganduje led by Abbas had denied sponsoring the attacks.

Why Tinubu wants Kano crisis resolved

A stalwart of the party told Daily Trust that Tinubu waded into the matter as part of plans to advance his yet to be declared presidential ambition. The former Lagos State governor has been romancing with Ganduje since after the 2019 general elections.

Tinubu had last month visited an elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, in Kano, where he sought for the northern leader’s support towards the actualisation of his presidential ambition. Previously, clerics in Kano State had endorsed Tinubu’s presidential ambition.

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The source said internal wrangling rocking the party in Kano State would affect Tinubu’s ambition, hence his intervention.

“Tinubu’s interest in all of these is the number of votes that can come from Kano. A good politician cannot play with the number of votes from the state. Lagos and Kano are central to any politician’s presidential ambition. Combined votes from the two states are over two million and that is why Kano was determinant of the 2015 and 2019 elections,” the source who is close to Ganduje and Shekarau said, pleading not to be named.

Another source said power brokers in the APC including a section at the centre and some governors who are allegedly averse to the Tinubu’s presidential ambition, are fuelling the feud.

“You know some powerful personalities in Abuja have reservations on Tinubu’s presidential ambition, thus they see this as an opportunity to advance their course by decimating the camp of Ganduje,” the source said.

The upcoming meeting between Asiwaju and Ganduje

Contacted, the Kano State Commissioner of Information, Muhammad Garba, said Governor Ganduje was also invited by the national leader of the party for the peace parley.

In a phone interview, he said; “Tinubu invited the two groups, both Malam Shekarau and Kano State governor to the reconciliation meeting. Asiwaju decided to hear from Malam first and subsequently hear from the governor and if there is any reason for reconciliation, then they take it from there.

“If you look at it politically and historically, there is always a contest or struggle for power after a second term. It happens during Shekarau and Kwankwaso.

“But at the end of the day, whether they are reconciled or not, the election will be conducted and Allah decides whoever emerges as governor, senator and what have you.”

Also Monday, the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Lawan Musa, told Daily Trust that a notice of appeal has been filed against last week’s judgment that recognised the ward congress of Shekarau’s faction.

He added that they have also filed a motion for stay of execution and other motions, which he said they believe will tilt the tide in their favour.

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Shekarau met Asiwaju without our consent – G-7 sources

Sources in the camp told our reporters that Shekarau went to the meeting without the blessing of other members of his camp.

Operating under the G-7, the Shekarau’s camp has Senator Barau (Kano North), Rep Shaaban Sharada, Nasiru Auduwa, Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe, Haruna Isa Dederi, among others as key members.

One of the sources said the former governor was yet to brief them on the outcome of his meeting with the APC national leader.

“As far as we are concerned, the meeting was personal and not for our group because he went there without our permission and since he returned, nobody has been briefed.

“What I can tell you is that nobody can handover Kano to anyone come 2023. The state is bigger than anybody,” one of the sources said.

He emphasized that the crisis rocking the APC in Kano was “to solely free the party and open it up to all in the state. As it is now, many people are being side-lined. They are practicing politics of exclusivity and it is not good for our democracy”.

Another source said they would meet today. “There is the possibility of asking Shekarau to tell the world that he went to Lagos on his own,” he said.

A member of the Governor Ganduje faction, Engineer Ramat Ungogo, said the meeting was a sign that the governor’s side is winning in the ongoing crisis.

Ungogo, who is the Chairman of Ungogo LGA, said if Tinubu had invited Ganduje, it would have been interpreted as though “father and son are combining to deal with Shekarau”.

Tinubu’s media aide, Mr Tunde Rahman, pledged to call our correspondent when his comment was sought on why his boss was interested in Kano.

He was yet to call up till the time of going to press last night.

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Ganduje’s faction authentic – APC

The national leadership of the APC yesterday insisted that the congresses attended by its delegation were authentic. The party also said it was yet to receive and study the recent High Court judgment recognising Shekarau’s faction as legitimate in the state.

Speaking with newsmen on Monday in Abuja, Secretary of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, said the party did not send parallel state congress committees to the state.

“We are responsible leaders of the party and we won’t like to comment on a judgment that we haven’t seen.

“All I can tell you now is that we are going to apply for a certified true copy of the judgment. We haven’t seen it. We need to study the judgement.

“We didn’t give letters to two committees! How could we have done that? We won’t put fire in our own house. We know the people we gave the official letter to go to Kano and conduct the official assignment. That is the team we will accord recognition to,” he said.

In a separate interview, Barrister Auwal Ibrahim, who led the team that conducted the congress which produced the displaced Abdullahi Abass as chairman, told newsmen that the congress attended by Governor Ganduje was the authentic congresses.

There was no comment from Shekarau’s camp as the number of his media aide, Dr Sule Ya’u Sule was not going through.

Daily Trust

Related Topics:ambition Featured feud Ganduje Kano APC Tinubu

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Politics

Ogun 2027: Radio Interview that Triggered APC Move for Hunye’s Arrest, Prosecution

Published

2 hours ago

August 26, 2026

Trends Admin

Ogun 2027: Radio Interview that Triggered APC Move for Hunye’s Arrest, Prosecution

What Happened in Osun Will Be a Child’s Play in Ogun — Hunye

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State has distanced itself from Abayomi Hunye and called for his arrest and prosecution for allegedly impersonating a governorship candidate of the party, following comments he made during a radio interview in which he vowed to challenge the emergence of Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the party’s 2027 governorship candidate.

Hunye, who described himself as an APC governorship aspirant, made the comments on Tuesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.

During the programme, Hunye warned that the political crisis surrounding the APC’s 2027 governorship ticket could become far more intense than the recent political upheaval witnessed in Osun State.

“They saw what happened in Osun. What happened in Osun is going to be a child’s play to what is going to happen in Ogun State in 2027,” he said.

The comments appeared to have heightened the controversy surrounding the APC governorship ticket and prompted the party to disown Hunye, insisting that he had no authority to present himself as its governorship candidate.

The party maintains that Adeola is its duly nominated candidate for the 2027 Ogun governorship election.

Hunye, however, said he remained committed to his legal challenge against the outcome of the party’s governorship primary, arguing that the dispute was fundamentally about the integrity of the process and the right of party members to participate in a free and fair contest.

According to him, political grievances cannot simply be suppressed by imposing a preferred candidate on party members.

“What happened in Osun was the same thing. You cannot deprive people of their rights and want them to now keep quiet. They will not keep quiet,” he said.

Hunye also accused Governor Dapo Abiodun and the APC leadership of imposing Adeola on other aspirants, challenging the party to subject the senator to a transparent primary if he was genuinely popular among party members.

“He imposed him on us. And you want to force us to obey it. If you agree that he is popular, let the primaries be free and fair. And if he wins the primary, everybody will agree,” Hunye said.

He maintained that his court action was not driven solely by personal ambition, but by what he described as the need to ensure that the APC’s candidate emerged through a credible and acceptable process.

Hunye further claimed that opposition to Adeola’s emergence extended beyond his camp, alleging that some members of Governor Abiodun’s cabinet were also unhappy with the development.

“Quite a number of people in Dapo Abiodun’s cabinet are with us. They are not happy. People are not happy,” he claimed.

The radio interview has since become central to the latest development in the dispute, with the APC using Hunye’s public statements and his self-description as an aspirant to reinforce its position that he has no mandate to speak or act as the party’s governorship candidate.

The controversy comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 Ogun governorship election, with the APC leadership seeking to consolidate support around Adeola while the internal dispute over the primary process continues to generate tension.

Hunye’s warning that the situation in Ogun could surpass the political crisis witnessed in Osun has also added a new dimension to the dispute, raising concerns about the possibility of further confrontation within the ruling party if the grievances of aggrieved aspirants and their supporters remain unresolved.

Politics

APC Petitions Police, DSS Over Ogun 2027 Governorship Claim, Seeks Hunye’s Arrest

Published

9 hours ago

August 26, 2026

Trends Admin

APC Petitions Police, DSS Over Ogun 2027 Governorship Claim, Seeks Hunye’s Arrest

I’m ready to honour police invitation – Hunye

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), demanding the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Mr. Abayomi Hunye over his alleged impersonation as the party’s governorship candidate in Ogun State for the 2027 general elections.

The ruling party also urged the security agencies to stop Hunye from further parading himself as its candidate, warning that his continued claim could mislead the public, undermine electoral integrity and potentially threaten public peace in the state.

The development followed Hunye’s recent declaration at an event in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, where he reportedly presented himself as the APC governorship candidate for the 2027 election and unveiled Chief Abayomi Odunowo as his purported running mate.

The APC had on Monday publicly disowned Hunye, describing his claim as mischievous and insisting that he was not its governorship candidate.

In separate petitions dated August 24 and signed by the party’s Director of Administration, Ayoola Olajolo, the APC asked the police and DSS to urgently intervene in the matter.

In the petition to the Inspector-General of Police, the party described Hunye’s action as a “grave threat to public peace and electoral integrity,” alleging that he had been using both traditional and social media platforms to parade himself as the party’s candidate.

The APC stated: “The Subject has notoriously and unlawfully taken to the public domain, including print and social media, parading himself as the governorship candidate of our party for the forthcoming January 2027 election.

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“I wish to state unequivocally that this claim is false, fraudulent, and a deliberate act of impersonation designed to mislead the public and destabilise the peace of Ogun State.”

The party further alleged that Hunye had been suspended from the APC on April 7, 2026, following a petition from his Tube Ward in Ipokia Local Government Area.

According to the APC, the suspension was subsequently ratified by the Ogun State Working Committee and communicated to the party’s national headquarters.

The party also maintained that it had conducted its governorship primary election in the state and that Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola and Mrs Balogun Abiodun remained its recognised governorship candidate and running mate respectively.

Consequently, the APC asked the police to invite Hunye for questioning and investigate what it described as possible offences arising from his conduct.

The party specifically requested that the security agency investigate and prosecute him, where appropriate, for alleged impersonation, conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and alleged violation of the Electoral Act, 2026.

It also urged the police to restrain Hunye from further presenting himself as the APC candidate in order to prevent what it described as a possible breakdown of law and order in Ogun State.

The party pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation and provide additional statements or evidence that may be required.

Meanwhile, reports that Hunye had gone into hiding after security operatives allegedly visited his residence to deliver an invitation for questioning have been denied by the politician.

Hunye, while reacting to the development, dismissed the claim that he was on the run, insisting that he remained available and was prepared to honour invitations from the security agencies.

He questioned the basis for reports that he had evaded the operatives by jumping over his fence.

“Somebody was saying they came to my house and I jumped the fence. Why won’t I honour it? How can I be on the run?” Hunye asked.

He added that he would honour any invitation issued by the security agencies, noting that an invitation scheduled for September could not reasonably be interpreted as an indication that he was fleeing.

“If somebody invited me for September, I’ll be running now? The question is, have they visited my house?” he said.

Hunye further insisted, “I heard that they’re saying they came to my house and I jumped the fence. How can I be on the run? If I’m invited for September, I’ll definitely honour it.”

The dispute has added a fresh layer to the unfolding political contest ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Ogun State, with the APC now seeking the intervention of security agencies to settle what it considers a case of impersonation and potential threat to electoral order.

APC Petitions Police, DSS Over Ogun 2027 Governorship Claim, Seeks Hunye’s Arrest

Politics

Atiku Disowns Aide, Vows to Restore Subsidy — But With a Crucial Difference

Published

11 hours ago

August 26, 2026

Trends Admin

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Atiku Disowns Aide, Vows to Restore Subsidy — But With a Crucial Difference

Presidential candidate clarifies policy position after media aide’s interview sparks confusion, drawing clear line between proposed targeted intervention and old fuel subsidy regime.

The political landscape was thrown into a brief confusion on Tuesday when Paul Ibe, a media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, appeared on African Independent Television (AIT) and suggested that his principal would restore petrol subsidy if elected in 2027, but would gradually phase it out after the economy recovers. That statement, however, did not sit well with the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Hours later, Atiku Abubakar publicly disowned Ibe’s comments, stating unequivocally that his media aide was not speaking on his authority. Speaking while receiving the Osun State leadership of the ADC in Abuja, Atiku declared that one of his press aides had contradicted him in a policy statement as far as subsidy is concerned, and he wanted to repeat categorically that when he said he would return to subsidy, he would. He emphasised that Nigeria is rich enough to look after the welfare of its citizens and made it clear that the aide was not speaking on his own authority.

Taking to his official X account, the former vice president doubled down on his commitment, framing it as a moral and economic imperative for a nation blessed with vast resources. He declared that on the question of subsidy, his position had not changed and would not change, insisting that he would restore it and that a nation as blessed as Nigeria has no business abandoning its citizens to hardship. He argued that Nigeria is rich enough to look after her own. He linked the fuel subsidy debate directly to the everyday struggles of ordinary Nigerians, describing the chain reaction triggered by high energy costs. He stated that he believes the wealth of a nation is not measured by how much government collects, but by how much the money in the pockets of its people can buy. He expressed his desire for wages to have value again, for farmers to move produce without transport swallowing their profits, for families to fill their baskets without emptying their pockets, and for businesses to produce, employ and prosper. He added that when fuel rises, transport rises; when transport rises, food rises; and when food rises, families suffer, and he vowed to break that wretched chain that has defined the national life in the nearly four years of Tinubu’s presidency.

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While the headline-grabbing statement from Atiku was a firm “I will restore subsidy,” his campaign team quickly moved to provide critical context to prevent what they described as “unauthorised, imprecise and materially misleading” interpretations of his policy. In a statement, Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, explained that the candidate is not proposing a return to the old, opaque import-subsidy system that was abolished by President Bola Tinubu in 2023. Instead, Atiku advocates for a “targeted, capped, transparently budgeted and independently audited subsidy” designed to support domestic refining and production. Shaibu stressed that for the avoidance of doubt, policy belongs to the candidate, not the spokesperson, and that their responsibility as communicators is to explain Atiku’s position accurately, not create formulations capable of confusing Nigerians or handing opponents convenient talking points. To drive the point home, Shaibu employed an analogy, stating that you do not remove scaffolding because the calendar says so; you remove it when the building can stand securely on its own. This suggests that t

he subsidy intervention under an Atiku administration would be phased out gradually based on concrete economic indicators—such as expanded domestic refining capacity, stable fuel supply, and improved market competition—rather than an arbitrary date. Atiku himself reinforced this distinction by declaring that he would not restore the import racket but would restore relief.

This incident has reignited the fuel subsidy debate, placing it at the centre of the 2027 presidential election campaign. President Bola Tinubu’s decision to abolish petrol subsidy at his inauguration on May 29, 2023, triggered a sharp increase in petrol prices and contributed to a broader cost-of-living crisis in Nigeria. Atiku’s camp argues that the current administration’s reforms, including the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market, have transferred the burden of economic shock to households and businesses. They are positioning the 2027 election as a choice between what they term “Expensive Nigeria versus Affordable Nigeria.” The ADC presidential candidate argues that Nigerians have not benefited sufficiently from the savings associated with the subsidy removal and that the government has failed to provide adequate palliatives to cushion the impact.

The controversy has drawn sharp reactions from across the political spectrum. While Atiku’s camp frames the policy as a pragmatic approach to easing hardship and boosting local production, critics have accused

him of proposing a retrogressive policy. The Presidency has previously criticised the proposal, arguing that returning to any form of subsidy could undermine local refining, threaten jobs, and increase foreign exchange losses. The debate is expected to intensify as the 2027 election draws nearer, with both sides seeking to define the economic narrative.

To cut through the confusion, here is a clear breakdown of what Atiku Abubakar is actually proposing regarding his subsidy policy as clarified by his campaign. First, it is not a return to the old system, meaning the proposed intervention is not the previous import-subsidy regime that was fraught with corruption and leakages. Second, it is targeted at domestic production, so the subsidy will be designed to support local refining capacity, ensuring that crude oil is processed within Nigeria. Third, it will be capped, transparent, and audited, meaning the new model will have clear financial limits, public transparency, and independent audits to prevent abuse. Fourth, it will feature a performance-based phase-out, so the withdrawal of the subsidy will be tied to measurable improvements in the economy, domestic refining, and market stability, not a fixed timeline.