A Kano State High Court has affirmed the suspension of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The court, while granting an ex parte order, also restrained Ganduje from further parading himself as a member of the party.
The order was granted by Justice Usman Malam Na’abba, on Tuesday, a copy of which was sighted by Daily Trust.
The order followed an ex parte motion filed Haladu Gwanjo and Laminu Sani by their counsel Ibrahim Sa’ad.
The plaintiffs, who identified as executive members of APC Ganduje ward, said they brought the motion on behalf of the executive members of the ward.
Gwanjo, who identified as the party’s ward Legal Adviser, was the one that announced the suspension of Ganduje two days ago.
Subsequently, the court ordered, that henceforth, Ganduje should desist from 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 announced the suspension of ward party leaders who earlier announced the suspension of Ganduje.
Daily Trust had reported how the leadership of the party at Ganduje ward in Dawkin Tofa Local Government area announced the suspension of the party’s national chairman, citing corruption charges filed against him by the government.
But APC Chairman in Dawakin Tofa Local Government , Inusa Suleiman Dawanau, told newsmen that those behind the act were caught in anti-party activities, with records of their meetings with the ruling opposition exposed.
In addition to the suspension, the State Working Committee (SWC) also sanctioned them for six months and set up a panel to verify several allegations against them.
The ruling party had subsequently petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, asking the force to probe those behind the purported suspension of Ganduje.
The APC in a statement on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka, 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 programme 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 member of the party in the ward, and in good standing.”
The NNPP has since distanced itself from the crisis rocking Kano APC.
