FORMER Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi has commended Abdullahi Ganduje for resigning as national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Obi, in a post on X on Saturday, June 28, praised Ganduje’s decision as wise and honourable, setting a good example for other leaders to prioritise their health and step aside when unable to perform optimally.
He emphasised that Nigeria needs leaders who are physically and mentally fit to tackle the country’s challenges.
“I must commend Dr Ganduje for prioritising his health above all else. With his health reportedly in decline, it is both wise and honourable to step aside, knowing that he may no longer be able to render the level of service required by the party, the people, and the nation.
“By this exemplary action, Dr. Ganduje has thrown a challenge to other leaders who, due to health-related issues, are no longer able to deliver optimally. I sincerely hope they take a cue from him,” he posted.
According to Obi, the challenges confronting Nigeria today require leaders who are not only competent but also physically and mentally fit, leaders with the capacity and agility to respond decisively and promptly to pressing issues.”
“I have just read a news report that the National Chairman of the ruling party, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has resigned from his position with immediate effect, citing health challenges as the reason,” he wrote.
“
Obi added that at this point in Nigeria’s history, the country could no longer afford leadership defined by medical tourism, long holidays, or absenteeism caused by age-related ailments.
The former governor of Anambra State urges other leaders to follow Ganduje’s example and step aside if they’re unable to perform their duties optimally.
Ganduje resigned as the national chairman of the APC on Friday, citing health reasons.
The APC officially announced his resignation as the National Chairman of the Party on Friday.
His resignation, effective immediately, was announced in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.
According to the statement, the resignation was to enable Ganduje to attend to urgent and important personal matters.
Following the sudden resignation of Ganduje, Ali Bukar Dalori from Borno State, North Central, has been directed to immediately assume the role of Acting National Chairman.
Dalori was also asked to urgently convene a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to formally address the leadership vacancy.
In the statement released Friday night, Morka announced that Ganduje tendered his resignation to focus on “urgent and important personal matters.”
Morka said the confidence reposed in Ganduje by the NEC and National Caucus during their February 2025 meetings stands as a testament to his performance.
Ganduje, on Friday, June 27, resigned as the National Chairman of the ruling APC in a letter, citing health concerns as the reason for his decision.
Although the circumstances surrounding his resignation remain unclear, some sources have attributed it to health reasons, while some believe it is a political strategy towards the 2027 general election.
The new acting chairman, Dalori, hails from Borno, the same state as Vice President Kashim Shettima, who has recently been embroiled in controversy over speculation about his potential replacement as running mate in the 2027 election by the president.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance