Court Affirms Ganduje’s Suspension

A Kano State High Court has affirmed the suspension of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The court, while granting an ex parte order, also withstrained Ganduje from further parading himself as a party member.

The order was granted on Tuesday by Justice Usman Malam Na’abba, a copy of which was cited by Daily Trust.

The order came after an ex parte motion filed by Haladu Gwanjo and Laminu Sani by their counsel, Ibrahim Sa’ad.

The plaintiffs, who presented themselves as executive members of the APC Ganduje ward, said they brought the motion on behalf of the executive members of the ward.

The suspension of the APC national chairman was announced two days ago by Gwanjo, the party’s ward Legal Adviser.

Subsequently, the court ruled that henceforth, Ganduje should stop presiding over all affairs of the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC.

The State Working Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kano had suspended ward party leaders who had earlier announced the suspension of Ganduje.

This medium had reported how the party’s leadership at Ganduje ward in Dawkin Tofa Local Government announced the suspension of the party’s national chairman, citing corruption charges filed against him by the government.

But Inusa Suleiman Dawanau, the APC Chairman in Dawakin Tofa Local Government, told journalists that those behind the act were caught in anti-party activities, with records of their meetings with the ruling opposition exposed.

Also, the State Working Committee (SWC) sanctioned them for six months and set up a panel to verify numerous allegations against them.

The ruling party had subsequently petitioned Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), asking the force to probe those behind the purported suspension of Ganduje.

The APC, in a statement on Tuesday by Barrister Felix Morka, its National Publicity Secretary, said the perpetrators of the “criminal act” were not card-carrying members or legitimate officials of the APC in Ganduje’s ward.

“The purported suspension was the devious act of a group of impersonators of ward officials out to cause mischief and create confusion in the otherwise peaceful Ganduje Ward chapter of our party. The perpetrators of this criminal act are not card-carrying members of APC in the ward but are individuals affiliated with senior officials and representatives of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

“This act procured by officials of the ruling NNPP in Kano is part of the despicable program of political persecution launched by the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf against Dr. Ganduje, a former governor of Kano State.

“The purported suspension is downright criminal and of no effect whatsoever. The legitimate Executive Committee of the Ganduje Ward has since denounced the action and reaffirmed Dr. Ganduje as a bona fide party member in the ward and good standing.”