A high Court in Kano State Northwest Nigeria has granted an exparte order restraining the National Chairman of Nigeria’s ruling Party, the All Progressives Congress APC Abdullahi Ganduje from parading himself as member of the party.
The Court Subsequently ordered that, Ganduje should henceforth desist from presiding over all affairs of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
The application granted by Justice Usman Malam Na’abba sighted by Voice of Nigeria VON Correspondent, follows an exparte motion filed by Dr. Ibrahim Sa’ad Esq on behalf of two executive members APC Ganduje ward, Dawakin-Tofa local government area, the assistant secretary, Laminu Sani and legal adviser Haladu Gwanjo (plaintiffs) who were part of the nine ward executive who suspended Abdullahi Ganduje two early this week.
The court directed the parties (respondents) joined in the matter, that is All Progressives Congress (APC), APC National Working Committee (NWC), APC Kano State Working Committee (KSWC), and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to henceforth, maintain status quo as from 15th April, 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit on 30th April, 2024.
Subtantive suit
Justice Na’abba also held as prayed, stopped State Working Committee APC Kano, from interfering with the legally and validly considered decision of executives of Ganduje ward, essentially on action endorsed by two third majority of the executives as provided by the party constitution.
Some parts of the orders reads thus:
“An order is hereby granted directing all parties in the suit APC (1st), APC National Working Committee (2nd), Kano State Working Committee APC (3rd), Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje (4th), to maintain status quo ante belum as of 15th April, 2024.
” The order thereby restraining the 1st respondent (APC) from recognizing the 4th respondent (Ganduje) as member of APC and prohibiting the 4th respondent (Ganduje) from presiding over any affairs of the NWC and restraining the state Working Committee from interfering with the legally and validly decision of the ward executives of Ganduje ward.
“That the 4th respondent (Ganduje) is prohibited from parading himself as member of APC or doing any act that may portray him or seem to be a member of APC pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit”.
Nine members of the Ganduje ward proclaimed the suspension of the National Chairman of APC over the allegation of corruption slammed on him by Kano state government.
The nine APC executives said they were prompted to act following a petition written by one Ja’afaru Adamu, a member of APC from the National Chairman’s polling unit.
Investigate the matter
Adamu complained over allegation of corruption charges against the former Governor just as he urged the ward leaders to investigate the matter to redeem the dented image of the party and the implication on President Bola Tinubu’s fight against corruption.
Although, the chairman and secretary of the ward failed to act on the petition filed since 8th April, 2024, nine members of the executives led by the legal adviser had acted upon the petition, a decision that led to the suspension Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Also, over twenty members of the party along with the ward and local government party chairmen held a briefing where they disputed the suspension of the National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje.
They said those behind it were not their members.
In the last one year, the former Kano state Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had suffered serious political setback for loosing his Dawakin Tofa federal constituency in the 2023 general elections where his son Umar Abdullahi Ganduje was the APC candidate.
Lateefah Ibrahim
