Liberal National Party insiders have suggested president Gary Spence may have decided to quit his unpaid role due to internal ructions.
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One LNP source questioned whether Mr Spence had "jumped before he was pushed", citing internal discontent from some over whether he had overstepped the mark between the party and parliamentary matters.
Another said they believed Mr Spence's leadership had been on a "slippery slope" and there was discontent about the way he ran the party.
"When I saw his reason for resignation, I didn't believe it," the source said.
"This is his way to save face, to blame the state government and he can exit the presidency."
Addressing the media on Friday, Mr Spence insisted his decision to resign was solely as a result of Labor's property developer donation laws.
He flatly denied suggestions it had any link to his speech at the state council meeting in November, when he reportedly slammed three sitting MPs for using their conscience votes on the contentious abortion issue to "overturn core principles and policies".
The Palaszczuk Labor government last year passed laws banning property developers from giving political donations at a state and local government level.
As chairman of engineering consultancy firm PeakUrban, Mr Spence said he was at "extreme risk of going to jail for two years" if he solicited funds for the upcoming federal election in his role as LNP president.
"The job of an LNP president is to raise funds to fight the incoming election, and I just simply cannot afford the risk of being prosecuted and going to jail," he said.
"One wonders whether we're in North Korea. Perhaps we're in Zimbabwe."
Mr Spence said legal advice received this week prompted his decision, made on Wedneday night, to announce his resignation.
The LNP is challenging Labor's property developer donation laws in the High Court, which in recent days advised the case would be delayed for a few months.
Mr Spence said that meant there was no prospect of a court decision before the next federal election.
"The president must be able to fundraise and campaign for the LNP," he said.
Mr Spence said his decision to quit had nothing to do with the reaction to his speech at the LNP state council meeting in Bundaberg in November, where he called for Tim Nicholls, Steve Minnikin and Jann Stuckey to be held "accountable when they next seek endorsement".
"The gratifying thing after my speech is that the support from our party members has been overwhelmingly strong," Mr Spence said.
"Not a factor at all.
"The only thing that is relevant here, and the only thing on my mind in making this decision, is that the Labor Party have instituted what is a financial gerrymander and made it impossible for me to do my job in the lead up to the next federal election."
Mr Spence also defended his actions in supporting Peter Dutton during the federal leadership spill.
"I don't have any regrets at all. (Prime Minister) Scott Morrison has been widely accepted all over Queensland," he said.
"The LNP membership numbers are up. The morale within the party is up. Queenslanders I think have warmed to Scott Morrison and I think that he's going to make a very good Prime Minister for many years to come."
Mr Spence will resign as state president at the next meeting of the state executive on Tuesday, when an acting president will be chosen.
He will stay on the state executive as the immediate past president.
LNP vice-president David Hutchinson is understood to be a contender for the role, while there is likely to be three or four potential candidates, with some members agitating in support of party elder Lawrence Springborg, who quit at the state election.
Mr Springborg reportedly told confidantes he did not want the job.
