By Peter Omopo
Kano | July 19, 2025
Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has clarified his absence during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent condolence visit to Kano, attributing it to a previously scheduled personal engagement in London.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his former Chief of Staff, Malam Muhammad Garba, Ganduje dispelled speculations suggesting illness or deliberate exclusion from the presidential visit, which took place on Friday, July 18, 2025.
“Dr. Ganduje had travelled to London for a personal engagement that had been planned well before the President’s visit was scheduled,” Garba stated, adding that the engagement began five days after Ganduje’s resignation as APC National Chairman.
President Tinubu was in Kano to condole with the family of the late business magnate, Alhaji Aminu Dantata. According to Garba, Ganduje was duly informed of the visit and made efforts to reschedule his itinerary, but logistical challenges made a return in time unfeasible.
“Despite being out of the country, Dr. Ganduje remained in regular contact with key party stakeholders, including Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin and Kano APC Chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, to ensure seamless coordination during the President’s visit,” the statement noted.
Garba emphasized that Ganduje’s resignation from the APC leadership has not affected his longstanding relationship with President Tinubu, describing it as “a bond rooted in years of mutual trust and political collaboration.”
He also reaffirmed the Kano APC’s unwavering loyalty to the President and commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, assuring party members and supporters of continued unity and alignment with the Tinubu administration’s vision.
“The APC in Kano remains united, focused, and fully supportive of the President’s leadership,” Garba concluded.
