Gaunduje steps up lobbying for party chairman position as northeast opposes his appointment

FORMER Kano State governor Dr Abdullahi Ganduje has intensified lobbying in his bid to emerge as the next national chairman of Nigeria's All Progressives Congress (APC) amid growing opposition to his appointment.

Over the last few weeks, it has emerged that Dr Ganduje is the favourite to emerge as the APC chairman following the resignation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu. It has also emerged that former Osun State governor Gboyega Oyetola is on course to become APC secretary to replace Senator Iyiola Omisore who also resigned along with Senator Abdullahi.

With opposition to his appointment growing in the north central geo-political zone, Dr Ganduje, who is from the from the northwest has been visiting prominent members of the party to solicit support for his ambition. However, the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) an umbrella body of governors has reportedly agreed to back Dr Ganduje as the new party chairman.

One source noted that the former governor met with the secretary to the government of the federation, George Akume as he sought to be the consensus candidate for the party’s top job. He also met with Senator Aliyu Wamakko, a former governor of Sokoto State, in his Asokoro residence in Abuja on Saturday.

However several APC party chairmen insisted that for fairness and equity, the chairmanship position should remain in the north central zone. Nasarawa State chairman of the APC, John Mamman, stated this on behalf of the group during an interview with our correspondent in Lafia.

Mr Mamman said: “All members of the All Progressives Congress in the country are aware that the national chairmanship position of our party was zoned to the north central zone during the national convention. Now that the position is vacant and there won’t be another zoning but replacement, it is expected that we in the north central zone should retain the position for fairness and equity.

“As leaders of the north-central, we chairmen are hoping that the party will leave the national chairmanship position for us because apart from that, we do not have any other top position in the country. So, we are appealing that the party and all our members should see reason with us why we should retain the position.”

Mallam Salihu Lukman the national vice chairman for APC northwest, threw his weight behind the clamour by the north central zone to retain the national chairmanship position. He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to follow constitutional order by allowing the APC's national working committee to choose the successor to outgoing chairman Senator Abdullahi  Adamu.