‘Uzodinma, Abdulrazaq Convinced Ganduje To Accept APC Chairmanship’

Details on how the immediate past Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, was convinced to take up the responsibility of the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have emerged.

Naija News reports that Ganduje, who was believed to have been penciled down for Minister, was suddenly anointed by President Bola Tinubu for the APC Chairmanship.

The President’s choice of Ganduje was, however, allegedly backed by the Progressives Governors’ Forum, the umbrella body of the party’s governors, who met in Abuja.

While some members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) have kicked against Ganduje, an ally close to the former Kano State governor disclosed that he was persuaded to take the call.

Ganduje’s ally told The Punch how the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), Hope Uzodinma, and the Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, convinced him to take up the call.

The source said for the President to pick Ganduje suddenly, it means he believes he is a party loyalist and has what it takes to mend fences in the party.

“Nobody predicted the choice of Ganduje. In fact, he wasn’t among the top four ex-governors to replace Adamu in the first place.

“We believe President Tinubu must have considered him as a loyal and trusted ally who can turn things around at the party secretariat. It, however, took the intervention of the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, and his Kwara State counterpart to persuade Ganduje to accept the assignment,” the source said.

Ganduje’s ally also revealed that the former Kano governor had been asked to recommend another loyal member of his camp to occupy his ministerial job.

Recount that Ganduje had on Wednesday reportedly visited President Tinubu alongside three other APC governors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Similarly, on the same Wednesday night,  Uzodimma had an emergency meeting with members of the PGF at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro.