“Should Sacrifice Himself”: APC Chief Reacts As Presidency Allegedly Declares Ganduje’s Seat Vacant

• The court cases in recent times have posed a major threat to Abdulahi Gandje's position as the chairman of the nation's ruling party
• In fact, recent reports indicate that Ganduje's seat has been declared vacant and the leadership of the party is working with some stalwarts to search for his replacement
• Speaking exclusively with Legit.ng on the matter, APC chieftain, ESV Podar Johnson, has urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene and Ganduje to step aside for a while

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

ESV Podar Johnson, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has urged the party's national chairman to step aside amid his ongoing court battles.

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According to Mr. Johnson, Gandjue is supposed to step aside and clear his name from the allegations slammed against him by his statesmen.

Recall that Abdullahi Ganduje, the national chairman of the APC, was recently suspended by the executive members of his ward in Dawakin-Tofa LGA of Kano state, northwest Nigeria.

On Sunday, April 21, another group, new ward executives emerged from Ganduje’s unit, Dawakin Tofa LGA of Kano state, and issued a fresh suspension on the national chairman of the APC.

Also, the Kano state anti-corruption and public complaints commission filed a criminal charge against Ganduje over alleged bribery of $413,000 and N1.38 billion.

The commission claimed that it had assembled 15 witnesses who were ready to speak against the APC national chairman.

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However, a new report has it that arrangement is already in place to replace Ganduje and appoint a new APC chairman.

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In an interview with Legit.ng via telephone on Sunday, May 19, Podar Johnson called for President Bola Tinubu's urgent intervention in Ganduje's probe.

Meanwhile, Tinubu and Kashim Shettima have reportedly backed the move for stakeholders to begin the search for Ganduje's replacement.

Reacting, Johnson maintained that Ganduje's litigations are distractions and currently affecting the party's leadership.

He urged Tinubu to return the national chairmanship position to the North-central and reconcile aggrieved party chieftains and wards in various states before the the party's national convention.

The APC chieftain opined thus:

"Ganduje's ordeal is a matter of consent because the allegations are coming from his state, and he is the national chairman of the party. Honestly, in a civilised society, he is supposed to step aside for the sake of the party to survive persecution from the opposition party. He should sacrifice himself for the party to have headway. All these litigations are distractions and create a bad name for the party at the center. I will advise the president to come into the issues since the matter is affecting the party at the center; we have seen the National chairmen sacrificing themselves for the party to forge ahead. I will conclude that the party should return the position of the national chairman back to Nasarawa state and immediately reconcile the party in various states before the National convention."

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Court told to sack Ganduje as APC chairman

Legit.ng had earlier reported that the crisis rocking the APC in Kano state was far from over, as a party chieftain dragged Abdullahi Ganduje to court.

Mohammed Saidu-Etsu wants Ganduje to vacate his seat as chairman of the APC and had also asked the court to declare the former Kano governor's appointment illegal.

This is coming weeks after Ganduje's ward executives suspended him over his recent court battles (bribery allegations).

Source: Legit.ng