Ganduje: Ex Plateau Gov, Dariye, may emerge as APC national chairman
Baring last minute change former Governor of Plateau state, Chief Joshua Chibi Dariye, may succeed Mallam Abdullahi Ganduje as the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Middle Belt Chronicles correspondent gathered that Dariye name featured prominently at a meeting of APC stalwarts in Jos last week.
Ganduje had announced his resignation on Friday, citing personal reasons for stepping down from the position he assumed in August 2023.
Dariye represented Plateau Central zone in the national assembly and may likely be the replacement for Ganduje at the July 24 national convention of the party.
Hitherto names of candidates from Nasarawa and Benue states have featured prominently in discussions, but Dariye emerged in the equation because of the belief that his emergence may be less rancorous than from from the two states whose candidates had been perpetual contenders to the position.
Since Ganduje took over the reins of the APC chairmanship from Abdullahi Adamu in August 2023, . there had been mounting calls within the party for the chairmanship seat to revert to the North Central geopolitical zone, where the former chairman Abdullahi Adamu, hails from.
Former Governor of Nasarawa state, Al Makura, was positioned to take over the position before Ganduje finally grabbed it.Lately it was rumoured the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, may resign to assume the position of the national chairman of the party.
Sources close to the party in the North Central zone told our correspondent that Dariye is considered ‘neutral and has the capacity to look lead the party to the next election the party indicate that Ganduje, who hails from Kano in the North West region, was persuaded to resign amid growing internal opposition and strategic repositioning as APC looks ahead to the 2027 general elections.
Joshua Dariye is a seasoned politician and known to have a great respect for President Bola Tinubu, both of whom were contemporary governors from 1999 to 2007.
Their political alliance is said to have continued till date.Party stalwarts in the north central zone were of the opinion that Dariye’s potential election would be a strategic move to consolidate support from the North Central region, which remains a vital electoral bloc for the APC.
Since the emergence of Ganduje, the North Central zone had consistently maintained that it ought to replace the outgone chairman in accordance with the constitution of the party.
Alluding to Dariye’s potential, North Central coordinator of APC Democratic Alliance, Inuwa Yahaya, said in Jos that the zone is pushing hard to ensure that Dariye emerged as successor to Ganduje .
He said, “We believe that Dariye has the potential to lead the party and his emergence will put paid to any rancour or internal party division that may occur in the event that a less acceptable candidate emerged like what we had during Ganduje.
“The party needs stability in the north central zone because you know a lot of party members were aggrieved at Ganduje for neglecting the zone and we need a unifier like Dariye”, he said
