Umar Ganduje: a political stabiliser-in-chief, by Kola Amzat

Besides several political blunders committed by the immediate national chairman of APC, Adamu Abdulahi in the build up to electing APC presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections, amongst which was his singlehanded bid to present Ahmed Lawan, an immediate past senate president to ex-president, Muhammud Buhari and the party leadership hierarchy as the consensus candidate, the former Nassarawa governor also lacks tact, resourcefulness and temperate which the exalted office of national chairman requires.

It’s instructive that the former senator representing one of the 3 Nassarawa Senatorial Districts had remained unapologetic and unremorseful of that political naivety that could have caused the party a colossal damage.      

Of course, Senator Ahmed Lawan would have lost woefully the presidential election on account of plethora of challenges dogging the party at that critical and most defining period, and more especially his neophyte political status, non-existence of known logistics, coupled with the obvious lack of huge resources to prosecute the election, as well as his lack of national political appeal.

No wonder why Adamu Abdulahi suddenly went underground after curtains was drawn on his APC national chairmanship office political adventure!

If he’d performed well in office, ordinarily, he should by now be one of the close confidants of the president, regardless of his ouster as chairman, seamlessly moving in and out of Aso Villa.

Therefore, when it was apparent that a new helmsman had to be identified and elected to take charge and lead the party, with a couple of candidates bidding for the plum office, a list that included Tanko Al-Makura from Nassarawa state, Sani Abdulahi from Niger state, and others, the president, a political strategist and tactician of immense status, who with all intents and purposes obviously operating in a “different political realm” knew what he wanted and how exactly how to go about it, particularly with his deep knowledge of political trajectory and antecedents of immediate past governor of Kano state, quickly moved beyond everyone else, with a resolve to pitch his tent with Umar Ganduje, as well as rallying support of the top hierarchy of the party both at the national and state level for the illustrious Ganduje born politician.

The rest is history! Ganduje has not disappointed since he assumed the office and there is no sign he would disappoint in future.

Since he came on board, he has boldly, strategically and tactically repositioned, re-engineered and restructured the entire gamut of the party at national and state levels, so much that the discordant tunes which usually characterize the affairs of the party after each electoral cycle seems to have disappeared.

His leadership has heralded a new dimension of vigour and flavor in executive-legislative relationship, a development that has significantly lessened the rancor, animosity and mutual suspicion that usually the trademarks of the two arms of government in the past administrations.   

There were other thorny issues in senate like those failed attempts by few senators who have lost out in the power game, bothering on the impeachment threats on the senate president on flimsy excuses and unsubstantiated allegations, as well as the perennial disagreements between senate leadership and Senator Ali Ndume on bills at plenary sessions that APC national chairman had quietly and tactically resolved with uncanny political maturity.

Not to forget the effrontery and belligerent postures of some caucuses in the House of Reps, who are making spirited efforts to upturn the provisions of the constitution with respect to their attempt to disregard the superiority of Upper Chamber to Lower Chamber of national assembly, an affront on the law of the land which Ganduje and National Working Committee (NWC) had tactically resolved with aplomb by mandating the federal lawmakers on the need to respect the provisions of the constitution, which has unmistakably spelt out each chamber’s roles and responsibilities.   

Meanwhile, since he mounted the rostrum of chairmanship of the party, the ex-Kano state governor has courageously and boldly led the ruling party to unassailable and uncontroverted victories in gubernatorial elections in Kogi, Edo and Ondo states, and has promised the party a much better outing in Osun state governorship poll in a year’s time by seeing off the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke.

And, why shouldn’t we take the national chairman serious, particularly against the backdrop of abysmal and very woeful performance of the incumbent governor since he assumed office?

In all the facets-education, economy, infrastructures, socio-political and agricultures, the state has significantly regressed!

Of course, in a decent clime, that governor has no business whatsoever in that office.

For the record, Ede Local government council alone has 5 commissioners and 3 special advisers in the cabinet. This is unprecedented in Nigerian political history and absurdity of highest order!

It’s an affront to the nation constitution that unequivocally demands equity, fairness and justice in the nation and state distribution of resources and appointments to all segments within a state and the country.

Of course, since the governor came on board, he has sufficiently demonstrated that he lacks character, capacity, knowledge, political acumen, vision, leadership and statesmanship to manage the cosmopolitan, urbane and very educated Osun citizenry.

Technically, in Ganduje’s political records and generality of Nigerians, Osun state would unfailingly be restored to the progressives’ family during the forthcoming gubernatorial elections. There is no iota of doubt about this assertion!

It’s also instructive to note and commend Ganduje stance on the cloudy and tensed political climate in Rivers state and particularly, his continual warning on state governor on the need for him to protect the political institutions and rights and privileges of APC assembly members, as well as stressing it to governor the need to abide with the provisions of the constitution in the discharge of his duties.

There is no doubt that Ganduje has set the victory tone for APC during the forthcoming 2027 general elections with his huge achievements just within a year in office, and credit, as well as applause goes to him for these accomplishments, even, against all odds.

This writer also commend President Tinubu for not only rallying support of the party hierarchy for him to succeed, but also out rightly disregard drumbeats of hatred, jealousy and envy continually been orchestrated from his home state of Kano by the incumbent governor and disgruntled people around him demanding that Ganduje should be ousted from office.   

In-Sha-Allah, Umar Ganduje’s era as APC national chairman has come to stay, and he’s indeed purposed to successfully lead APC to 2027 general elections.          

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)

Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,

09077509348.