Ali Bukar Dalori officially became the Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, stepping in after Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje resigned last Friday.
The National Working Committee (NWC) confirmed the shift during a meeting at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Ganduje’s resignation, announced by APC Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, was said to be “to enable him to attend to urgent and important personal matters.” He hand-delivered his letter to the NWC via National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru, expressing gratitude to President Bola Tinubu.
Morka’s statement continued: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Deputy National Chairman (North), Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori, to assume the position of Acting National Chairman, pending the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) … to fill the vacancy created by the resignation.”
Dalori, formerly Deputy National Chairman (North), pledged unity and calm after his inauguration.
He said: “To all party members and stakeholders, I urge us to stay united. Political transitions often create uncertainty, but we must not allow it to breed disunity. We must avoid actions and words that divide us and focus on what binds us — our shared belief in the promise of Nigeria and the future of the APC.”
He also praised Ganduje’s leadership and wished him a swift recovery.
Ganduje, former governor of Kano State and APC chairman since August 2023, officially cited health concerns for his departure.
He had submitted his resignation on Friday, saying his health had declined and that he needed time to prioritise his well-being.
APC governors welcomed the move, stating it aligned with the party’s “continued evolution” and reiterating their loyalty to President Tinubu’s agenda.
Beneath Ganduje’s health explanation lies a larger political puzzle.
Sources within the party suggest the timing was strategic, intended to reassure the North Central zone and smooth the path for potential defections, including possibly from Rabiu Kwankwaso’s camp, ahead of the 2027 elections.
An APC insider even speculated that Ganduje stood in the way of some figures joining the party and that his exit could placate rival zones.
As acting chairman, Dalori will lead the NWC until the NEC meets, likely later this year, to appoint a substantive chairman. Party insiders expect the position to return to North Central as part of APC’s zoning strategy.
Dalori noted plans to unveil a roadmap for party discipline, reconciliation, communication, member mobilisation, and stakeholder engagement.
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