Efforts to remove All Progressives Congress leader Dr Abdullahi Ganduje from office intensified again last week following speculation that President Bola Tinubu was considering giving him an ambassadorship so he could leave the country because of his ongoing corruption trial.

What began as a mere rumor quickly gained traction on social media and online publications, with many citing unknown figures from the ruling APC and the presidency as their sources.

Some political observers, however, believe that the story may have been staged by some party bigwigs from the North Central region who had campaigned for the party leadership to return to their zone following the retirement of Ganduje’s predecessor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

It will be recalled that three months ago, suspected thugs attacked and dispersed some members of the North-Central APC while they were protesting outside the party.

The protesters had stormed the party secretariat, chanting solidarity songs and displaying banners reading, “Return the APC national chairmanship to North Central” and “Dr. Ganduje, please resign from office to face prosecution in Kano.”

In the wake of the protests, Muhammad Etsu, a former APC chairmanship candidate from the same region, applied for an injunction to prevent Ganduje from posing as national chairman.

According to him, the seat of the party leadership should remain in the north-central region and not in the north-west, as the NEC had envisaged.

However, the party’s deputy national organising secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, described the speculations as ridiculous.

Duru, who was speaking in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, said a change of guard or arbitrary removal of the party leadership could lead to instability and upset the party.

He said: “That would be one change of guard too many. There must be stability, including in the administration of the party hierarchy. That is wishful thinking.”

“I don’t know if a party should be run like that. You can’t run a party on the basis of instability or unstable structures. That wouldn’t be a good sign for any party.”

“The party presidency has been moved to the North-West. This decision was taken at the NEC level in the presence of all members and bodies of the party.

“If someone disagrees, and I always say that because we are a law-abiding institution, they are free to go to court.”

When asked for clarification, APC Deputy National Secretary Festus Fuanter was reluctant to speak about it.