Mukhtar Musa Unguwar Gini, Senior Special Assistant on Protocol to National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has claimed that the leadership style deployed by his principal is the reason for defections into the ruling party.
Unguwar Gini told Punch that the ruling party has never experienced the kind of realignment currently taking place under Ganduje’s watch, noting that his inclusive and reconciliatory approach has turned the APC into a “safer haven” for politicians seeking relevance and stability.
He asserted that his boss is leading without ego or noise, but with wisdom and strategic calculation.
He said, “Ganduje is not leading with ego or noise. He is leading with wisdom, with strategic calculation, and with a true desire to build a political institution that is genuinely national. That is what is winning the hearts of opposition members.”
A former opposition senator from North Central, who recently joined the APC, told the aforementioned publication that Ganduje’s emergence has brought “a new sense of professionalism, fairness, and vision” to the party.
He said, “Many of us were not necessarily against the APC policies. What we were uncomfortable with was the manner the party was being managed. Under Ganduje, things have changed. There is clarity, there is inclusion, and there is purpose, and there is discipline.”
It was gathered that Ganduje’s strategy focuses more on grassroots mobilisation, quiet consultations, and internal reconciliation.
Party insiders also confirmed that Ganduje does not displace long-standing APC members when welcoming new entrants, a move believed to be key in preventing internal crises that often follow such mass defections.
“Ganduje has mastered the politics of balance. He welcomes new members while ensuring that our original members remain respected and involved. His leadership is producing results.
“People are coming into the APC not because of pressure, but because of conviction. That’s what makes this moment different,” Unguwar Gini said.
He added that the party under Ganduje is not just growing numerically but also gaining renewed public confidence.