President Tinubu Directs Ganduje to Partner with New APC Chairman.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, to work in close partnership with his predecessor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Nentawe revealed the presidential directive on Wednesday when Ganduje paid him a condolence visit at the party’s national secretariat over the death of his mother.
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The new chairman, affirming his commitment to the president’s instruction, went a step further by referring to Ganduje as the “co-chairman” of the party, signaling a role for the former chairman that extends beyond mere advisory.
“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has asked me to work with you, to reach out to you about partnership,” Nentawe stated during the visit. “I told him I would still regard you as chairman in partnership with me. You are still the co-chairman of the party.”
This development follows a period of transition for the APC. Ganduje resigned from the chairmanship on June 27 under controversial circumstances, citing health challenges. The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) subsequently appointed Nentawe, the former Governor of Plateau State, as the substantive chairman on July 24.
Nentawe emphasized that his leadership style would be collaborative, describing his role as that of a “coordinator” rather than a sole leader. He stressed that Ganduje’s extensive political experience, which dates back to the Second Republic, is an invaluable asset crucial to the party’s future success.
“At that time, I was only in primary school,” Nentawe recalled. “By then, people like you had already mastered the ropes of politics. So, I need your experience, your guidance, your connections, and your contacts to solidify this party and build it together so that we can win more elections.”
In his response, the former Kano State governor commended Nentawe for extending an olive branch and wholeheartedly pledged his support to the new leadership. Ganduje framed their cordial relationship as a model for resolving the frequent tensions between successors and predecessors in Nigerian politics.
“One important thing is that the problem between a successor and his predecessor is one of the issues APC has solved,” Ganduje said. “Since 1999, such tensions have been common across the federation. Our relationship is the beginning of solving that kind of problem, not only in APC but in the entire democratic atmosphere.”
Daily trust report that, Ganduje congratulated Nentawe on his appointment and assured him of his full cooperation in strengthening the ruling party ahead of future elections.