…As Tinubu restructures NWC
President Bola Tinubu may have commenced restructuring of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) to pave the way for former Kano State governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, to rejoin the party.
According to sources within the APC, Tinubu’s appointment of the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, as board chairman of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), is the first step towards the president’s “sanitation” of the APC National Working Committee (NWC).
Most members of the APC NWC are expected to leave alongside Ganduje, as Tinubu intends to appoint them to various government positions.
It was gathered that a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) will be convened soon to finalise the changes. The chairmanship is expected to go to the North-Central zone, although the specific state has not been disclosed.
“Most of the APC NWC leaders are going, and Tinubu is preparing for change. The NEC meeting is likely to be held soon. The chairmanship will go to North-Central; but no one knows the State in North-Central. Before any NEC meeting is held, the President will finish with the appointment first”, the source was quoted as saying.
According to reports, Kwankwaso’s return to the APC was previously blocked by Ganduje, his political rival; and given Ganduje’s imminent exit as National Chairman, the Northern political leader is likely to rejoin the Party.
According to a party source: “You know before now, it was Ganduje that blocked him, but with this appointment now, the moment he (Ganduje) leaves the chairmanship of the party, Kwankwaso will come if he’s still interested. The problem has been Ganduje; as long as he remains the chairman, Kwankwaso won’t want to come back”.
“If Ganduje remains as national chairman, he would outrank and place Kwankwaso under him. Naturally, Kwankwaso wouldn’t want the APC to be under Ganduje’s control. If Ganduje is there, Kwankwaso must be answerable to Ganduje for every decision, which wouldn’t sit well with him. He won’t be comfortable with that until Ganduje leaves”, the party source stated.
The source further revealed that political realignments are expected in some states ahead of the 2027 general election, with some members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expected to join the APC. He mentioned Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, a former member of the APC, as one of those expected to rejoin the party.
However, the APC leaders in Osun are said to be resisting the move, and this has created problems within the State’s party,
Meanwhile, reports indicate that efforts are underway to broker peace between Kwankwaso and Ganduje. The top shots involved in their reconciliation efforts include Murtala Sule Garo, former deputy governor of the state, Baffa Babba ƊanAgundi, former chairman of KAROTA, and AbdulMumin Jibrin Ƙofa, a House of Representatives member representing Kiru and Bebeji local government areas.
The prolonged political rivalry between Kwankwaso and Ganduje has reportedly been a concern for Kano residents. Many believe the rift has hindered the state’s development.
Ganduje, who served as Kwankwaso’s deputy governor between 1999 and 2003, and later as the latter’s Special Adviser, assumed the role of APC National Chairman on August 3, 2023. He was said to be initially unhappy with Tinubu’s plans to edge him out of the APC leadership.
