Toba Owojaiye reporting
Kano City, Kano State
The Kano State High Court, in a recent development, has issued an exparte order restraining Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), from representing himself as a member of the party.
Truth Live News gathered that the court also ordered that Ganduje should refrain from overseeing any activity of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC.
Justice Usman Malam Na’abba, who presided over the case, granted this application on Wednesday, responding to an exparte motion filed by Ibrahim Sa’ad Esq on behalf of two executive members of the APC Ganduje ward, situated in Dawakin-Tofa local government area.
These executive members, namely Laminu Sani, the assistant secretary, and Haladu Gwanjo, the legal adviser, alongside others, had recently suspended Ganduje from the party.
The court’s directive extends to all parties involved, including the APC, APC National Working Committee (NWC), APC Kano State Working Committee (KSWC), and Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, instructing them to maintain the status quo ante belum as of April 15, 2024, until the substantive suit is heard on April 30, 2024.
Moreover, Justice Na’abba specifically ordered the Kano State Working Committee of the APC to refrain from meddling with the decision made by the Ganduje ward executives, which was taken with a two-thirds majority, as per the party’s constitution.
Furthermore, the court order explicitly prohibits the APC from recognizing Ganduje as a member of the party and bars Ganduje from conducting any NWC affairs. It also restrains the state Working Committee from interfering with the decision of the ward executives. Ganduje is thereby forbidden from portraying himself as an APC member or engaging in any activities suggesting his affiliation with the party until the substantive suit is resolved.
This legal battle stems from the suspension of Ganduje by nine members of the APC Ganduje ward, prompted by allegations of corruption leveled against him by the Kano state government. The suspension was initiated following a petition by Ja’afaru Adamu, an APC member from Ganduje’s polling unit, urging an investigation into the corruption allegations to uphold the party’s integrity and its stance against corruption.
Despite the initial inaction by the ward chairman and secretary regarding the petition, the suspension was eventually carried out by nine executives, including the legal adviser, leading to Ganduje’s suspension from the party.
Adding to Ganduje’s political woes, he faced a significant setback in the 2023 general elections, losing his bid for the Dawakin Tofa federal constituency, where his son, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, stood as the APC candidate.
