Abdullahi Umar Ganduje

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was born on 25 December 1949 in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State to a Fulani family.

He began his early education in an Islamic school at home and later attended Dawakin Tofa Primary School from 1956 to 1963 before moving to Government College, Birnin Kudu (1964–1968).

Between 1969 and 1972, he studied at the Advanced Teachers’ College in Kano. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Education from Ahmadu Bello University in 1975.

In 1979, Ganduje obtained a master’s degree in applied educational psychology from Bayero University Kano and later returned to Ahmadu Bello University (1984–1985) for a Master of Public Administration. He earned his doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Ibadan in 1993.

During the Second Nigerian Republic, he joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), serving as Kano State Assistant Secretary from 1979 to 1980 and contesting a House of Representatives seat under NPN but losing.

From 1984 to 1994, Ganduje held various roles in the Federal Capital Development Authority before becoming Kano State Commissioner for Works, Housing, and Transport in 1994.

He joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998 but lost the gubernatorial primaries against Rabiu Kwankwaso. Later, he was appointed deputy governor of Kano twice—first from 1999 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015.

Between 2003 and 2007, Ganduje served as Special Adviser (Political) to the Minister of Defence. He also worked as executive secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission in Ndjamena.

In 2014, he was selected as the All Progressives Congress’s consensus candidate for Kano State governor and won the 2015 election with 1,546,434 votes against Malam Salihu Takai’s 509,726. He was inaugurated on 29 May 2015.

His tenure included tensions with Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II over financial mismanagement and a 2019 re-election victory against Abba Kabir Yusuf amid allegations of electoral malpractices.

In 2023, the APC’s National Executive Committee appointed him as its national chairman following Abdullahi Adamu’s resignation. He was later confirmed in office by Justice Inyang Ekwo in a 2024 ruling.

As of January 2025, President Tinubu appointed Ganduje as board chairman of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).