President Bola Tinubu is reportedly planning to remove Abdullahi Ganduje as national chairman of the All Progressives Congress.

Tinubu is reportedly considering appointing Ganduje as ambassador to an African country.

According to Daily Nigerian, Ganduje, who was appointed as the party’s national chairman on August 3, 2023, is being offered the position to evade the ongoing corruption trial he is currently facing in Kano.

The report noted that Tinubu had first instructed Senate President Godswill Akpabio to break the “bad news” to Mr Ganduje.

Osun Defender reports that Ganduje, his wife, son and other accomplices were accused of corruption amounting to over 50 billion naira.

The report, however, said Ganduje reacted grudgingly to the president’s offer and quietly rejected it when it was conveyed to him by Akpor, saying the allegations were a “web of lies” and that he would win his cases in court.

“Is this the way the President will reward my loyalty? Besides, I am too old for an ambassadorship. All allegations are pure lies and I will win my case in court,” Ganduje was quoted as saying in response to Akpabio, according to the report.

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According to the report, sources later revealed that the President later personally informed Mr Ganduje of the plan to send a diplomat and offered him the option of choosing “any country in Africa”.

“However, other sources said the president offered him three opportunities in Africa, Asia and Europe,” the report said.

The report further said that a source close to the APC chairman said the president would prefer to send him as Nigerian ambassador to Chad after he served as executive secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission in Ndjamena between 2009 and 2011.

“You know that the president is looking for a way to appease him. That is why he gave him the choice between the three countries, but the president prefers Chad.

“The problem, however, is that no serious Asian or European country would ignore Ganduje’s dollar video and corruption allegations and accept him as an ambassador.

“However, Ganduje is lobbying hard to retain his seat, going from pillar to post and complaining bitterly to Chief Bisi Akande about the President’s decision to withdraw him from politics. But in the worst case scenario, Ganduje will choose Morocco over Chad,” the inside source told Daily Nigerian.

A report further stated that a letter was sent to the APC chairman informing him of the President’s approval to chair the National Executive Committee, NEC meeting and the non-elective national mid-term convention, days after he was informed of the decision.

The letter, dated August 9 and signed by the Presidential Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, informs Ganduje of the President’s availability for the NEC meeting scheduled to hold between September 8 and 19, 2024.

“The President has instructed me to inform you that he has approved the scheduling and convening of a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party. The President has confirmed his availability for the NEC meeting between September 8, 2024 and September 19, 2024.

“In addition, the President has directed that the agenda of the NEC meeting shall include, among other things, the setting of a date for the non-elective National Convention to be held before the end of 2024.

“Please liaise with the undersigned regarding any developments or necessary clarifications regarding the scheduling of the meeting. Please ensure that any changes or updates are communicated promptly to enable smooth coordination,” Mr Gbajabiamila said in the letter, according to the report.

Kazeem Badmus holds a degree in Mass Communication and has years of experience. As a professional in journalism and media writing, Kazeem emphasizes accuracy and factual reporting. He is also a skilled truth-finder and consciously delivers unbiased and development-oriented stories.