Brian Loughnane, the long-time director of the federal Liberal party and husband of Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff, Peta Credlin, is about to step down, News Corp publications have reported.

Party elder Tony Nutt who has helped guide Malcolm Turnbull’s transition into the prime ministership, is widely tipped to take on the director’s role. The handover is expected to take place before the federal election, due next year.

The minister for cities and the built environment, Jamie Briggs, paid tribute to Loughnane, who has been director of the federal party since 2003.

“Brian Loughnane has done an outstanding job for the Liberal party for more than three decades, and so what decision Brian takes with his career will be up to Brian,” Briggs told Sky News on Wednesday. “Likewise, Tony Nutt is a legend of the Liberal party; he’s one of the elders of the party, and he is someone that many of us look to for guidance.”

Nutt worked with John Howard while he was prime minister. He helped the Liberal party to victory in the Victoria and NSW state elections of 2010 and 2015 respectively.

Nutt worked with Abbott shortly after the 2013 federal election, but left amid reports of clashes with Credlin. .

Abbott, who was ousted as prime minister last month, staunchly defended Credlin and Loughnane in the face of party discontent.

Leaked emails in February showed that then federal Liberal party treasurer Philip Higginson thought the closeness between Credlin and Loughnane was hurting the Liberal party.

“It immediately brings about the cessation of open communication to the federal director, contributes to wooden and unreliable communication, and a reluctance towards open and trusting lines of communication and, dare I say it, retribution,” Higginson wrote.

“In corporate Australia, the chairman of the board would never allow his EA [executive assistant] to be wife of the managing director, or the managing director would never allow his EA to be the wife of the chairman,” said Higginson. “I am overwhelmed daily by the sheer vitriol and pent-up animosities and enmities that exist, and we are all personally affected by it and contributing to it, the longer the conflict of interest exists.”

Guardian Australia has contacted the federal branch of the Liberal party for comment.