In a stunning twist that signals a seismic shake-up within Nigeria’s ruling party, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has tendered his resignation with immediate effect, citing health concerns.
Ganduje, a former two-term Governor of Kano State, confirmed his exit through a resignation letter made public on Thursday and quoted by Premium Times, stating that he needed to “focus on his well-being.”
However, while the official reason given was health-related, insiders within the APC and political analysts are linking Ganduje’s abrupt resignation to intensifying internal pressure, festering leadership tensions, and a barrage of damning corruption allegations that have cast a dark cloud over his tenure.
Ganduje assumed the APC’s top position in August 2023 during a turbulent chapter in the party’s history, with internal rifts threatening to fracture its base. His ascension was seen by some as a move to stabilize the party ahead of crucial elections. But what followed was anything but stability.
From the outset, his tenure was marred by mounting controversies—legal challenges, accusations of favoritism, and an emerging narrative of financial opacity.
In April 2024, a Kano State High Court issued an ex parte order barring Ganduje from parading himself as a party member, following a suit filed by disgruntled party executives. Although a separate legal challenge by the APC North Central Forum seeking his ouster was dismissed by a Federal High Court in Abuja, the political damage had already been done.
Allegations of Graft and “Hefty Fees”
Beyond legal wranglings, the Ganduje-led APC was engulfed in widespread criticism over alleged financial impropriety. Reports surfaced of exorbitant fees demanded from aspirants vying for party tickets—particularly in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections—leading to internal protests among grassroots members.
Several APC insiders reportedly described the national secretariat under Ganduje as “commercialized,” claiming that party tickets were virtually auctioned to the highest bidder.
Adding fuel to the inferno, US-based Kano-born filmmaker and investigative journalist, Dr. Bello Galadanci, popularly known as Dan Bello, dropped a bombshell via a viral video that has since sent shockwaves across Nigeria’s political landscape.
In his exposé, Galadanci alleged a massive financial heist involving a labyrinth of companies and bank accounts used to siphon funds directly from the Kano State treasury. At the center of his claims was none other than Hafsatu Ganduje, wife of the outgoing APC national chairman.
Referring to her simply as “Mummy”, Galadanci presented damning evidence, including a campaign poster and a bank statement purportedly tied to her name. He disclosed that a single Bank Verification Number (BVN) linked to Mummy was allegedly connected to 44 separate bank accounts, eerily corresponding to Kano State’s 44 local government areas.
“Let’s pay attention to Mummy’s BVN and look at the number of accounts opened—44. The same as the number of LGAs in Kano. That’s no coincidence,” Galadanci claimed.
The whistleblower went further to allege that companies linked to Hafsatu Ganduje and her relatives—such as Safari Textile—were directly receiving funds from state accounts without any camouflage.
> “It was straight from the public coffers into personal and family-owned businesses,” he said, noting that the transaction history of just one account stretched over 286 pages—a staggering volume that points to deep-seated financial malfeasance.
As of press time, the APC has yet to release an official statement on Ganduje’s resignation. But political observers believe the party’s top brass is scrambling to contain the fallout and restore public confidence.
With the 2027 general elections slowly drawing into focus, the APC finds itself at a crossroads—one where internal cleansing may be the only way to maintain cohesion and public legitimacy.
While Ganduje retreats from public leadership citing “health,” political observers and anti-corruption watchdogs are calling for a full-scale investigation into the shocking allegations that continue to swirl around him and his family.
His resignation may have closed one chapter, but the story is far from over. If anything, it’s only just begun.
PIONEER NEWS 