A Kano State High Court has affirmed the suspension of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, unfolding more events as the political rivalry between Abba Yusuf, current governor of Kano State and his predecessor continues.
In an ex parte order, the court upheld the suspension of Ganduje, prohibiting him from parading himself as the National Chairman, as well as a member of the party.
The order followed an ex parte motion filed by Dr. Ibrahim Sa’ad Esq on behalf of two executive members of APC Ganduje ward, Dawakin-Tofa local government area, including restraints on Ganduje from presiding over affairs of the National Working Committee(NWC) of the party.
Ganduje’s alleged suspension was announced by the ward’s legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, while addressing the media in Kano on Monday.
According to Gwanzo, the former governor was involved in misappropriation of public funds and gross misconduct during his tenure in Kano, citing charges by the Kano state government.
“We resolved to pass a vote of no confidence on the National Chairman of the party due to his inability to clear his name from allegations of corruption, particularly the ‘dollar video’ that went viral.
“The APC leaders in Ganduje Ward are worried that the party is being subjected to unnecessary embarrassment from the rival New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) over unsubstantiated allegations of corruption levelled against Ganduje’s administration.
“Ganduje ward leaders deem it fit to suspend the national chairman to enable him concentrate on the litigation and other hanging issues so that he could appropriately clear his image and that of his family.
“President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the ongoing fight against corruption has made it necessary for Ganduje to deal with the seeming baggage of corruption hanging on his neck as it is already denting the reputation of the APC-led federal government.
“We, the leaders of the APC in Ganduje Ward, after thorough deliberations, decided to suspend the chairman to give him time to clear his name.
“Since Ganduje has been summoned to answer for these accusations, we are being proactive as it could potentially affect the reputation of our political party.” He said.
Although, the state chapter of the party described the suspension of the National Chairman by Ganduje Ward of the party as illegal, fake and void, announcing the suspension of the Ward Executives involved.
The APC national headquarters insisted that Ganduje remains the National Chairman of the party.
The APC spokesman, Felix Morka spoke on behalf of the party, describing the situation as ‘criminal’.
“We urge our Party faithful and the general public to disregard reports of the suspension of the National Chairman who is, and remains, the National Chairman of our great Party.
“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.
“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 bonafide member of the Party in the Ward, and in good standing,” Morka said on Tuesday.
Initially, the state government had been accused of masterminding the suspension.
Responding to the suspension and affirmation by the court, Ganduje asserted that the move to suspend him from office was orchestrated to deny President Bola Tinubu of Kano votes ahead of the 2027 election.
The former governor revealed this at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.
“When we first heard the news, we knew it was not true. But we had to exercise patience to affirm those behind it.
“After a formal investigation, it was found that those who met with officials of the Kano State government were not executive members either at the ward, state or even members of our party.
“These lies are peddled by the NNPP and the governor of Kano State to destroy our party because they are so concerned that during their first year in office, the people have seen the destruction of the economy of Kano down to the increase in political violence and also the destruction of political morality.
“With all these put together, they have started seeing the failure of their party. They are more concerned that we might take over the government from their party in 2027.” He said.
However, the Kano State Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party(NNPP) Hashimu Dungurawa, stated that the State government has no hand in the suspension of Ganduje from the APC.
Dungurawa then commended the APC ward executives for announcing the suspension of the APC National Chairman, urging the APC to rid itself of characters like Ganduje.
“That allegation is not true. All I know is that the executive members of APC in Ganduje ward have done a very good job by suspending their principal for two main reasons.
“One- there’s an investigation going on in Kano State. For the State to be sure, they have set up a body of inquiry on him because of his bad governance and alleged fraud.
“Two, the people of Ganduje Ward were accusing him (Ganduje) of not paying his dues as a party member, he wasn’t doing his party contribution.
“And there were allegations on him on the video that’s going round that he was syphoning money, dollars into his pocket.
“You know as a great people, people that came from a very high class family, they were very bitterly disturbed about fraud allegations against their principal.
“So it has been disturbing them and they have been having sleepless nights. That is why this committee of inquiry was set up by this government and said ‘let us probe this man so that we can have peace of mind’.
“These people that announced this suspension, they are bonafide members of APC; their names are in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; it’s there in the party’s state headquarters; it’s there in the party’s headquarters in Abuja.
“If you go and get the certified true copy, you will get all the names they have mentioned. It’s the party that suspended him because of his bad attitude and action in the party.
“We in NNPP are doing a good job. If the APC wants to make their party great and clean in the eyes of the people, they have to remove Ganduje’s type from the party, so that the party will look innocent and decent, and people will rush into the party.” He said.