Despite the rejection of his suspension by the efforts by organs of his party to save him, the Kano State High Court has granted an ex parte order suspending the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, from the party.

The order, issued by Justice Usman Malam Na’abba on Tuesday, also barred Ganduje from presiding over any activity of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

The decision stemmed from an ex parte motion filed by Dr. Ibrahim Sa’ad, representing members of the executive committee of APC in Ganduje Ward of Dawakin Tofa local government area of Kano State.

The Ward Exco members were part of a group of nine ward executives who earlier announced Ganduje’s suspension from the party on Monday.

The court, therefore, gave an interim injunction directing all parties involved, including the APC, its NWC, Kano State Working Committee of the party, and Ganduje himself, to maintain the status quo as of April 15, 2024, pending a full hearing on the matter set for April 30.

Justice Na’abba further ordered the Kano State Working Committee of the party to refrain from interfering with the decision of the Ganduje Ward executives of the party, which was endorsed by a two-third majority as stipulated by the party’s constitution.

The Street Reporters Newspaper recalls that the Ward executives suspended the APC national chairman over allegations of corruption against him.

Alhaji Ganduje’s ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of the state made the announcement on Monday.

The ward’s legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, who addressed journalists, citing allegations of bribery against Ganduje by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo stated.

He said the suspension subsists until he clears himself from the allegations.

A viral video had captured Ganduje allegedly receiving bundles of dollar notes as a bribe from a man said to be a contractor and stuffing them in the pockets of his flowing gown.

The video, which garnered widespread attention in 2017, has been the subject of intense scrutiny.

Ganduje had denied the content of the video when it first surfaced and maintained his innocence but years after, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)’s administration of Governor Abba Yusuf revisited the case, vowing the prosecute the ex-governor.

The Kano High Court would arraign Ganduje on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 on charges bordering on allegations of bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds, including the purported acceptance of $413,000 and N1.38bn in bribes.

The Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Dederi, had said Ganduje would be arraigned alongside his wife and six others.

The Yusuf administration, which initiated the criminal suit against the eight respondents, had declared its readiness to present 15 witnesses to testify before Justice Usman Na’aba of State High Court.

However, as part of efforts to upturn the suspension, some persons at Ward Executive Committee and Dawakin Tofa Local Government Executive Committee had vehemently denounced the purported action against the National Chairman of APC.

But in a joint press conference on the same day he was suspended on Monday,  the Ganduje Ward Chairman Ahmed Koko argued that “Those who addressed the press conference were sponsored by the NNPP state government, and from the record of the party at the ward, local government, and state, are not card-carrying members of the APC”.

Koko insisted that the alleged suspension held no validity and therefore should be ignored.

“The purported suspension was null and void, and would have no any effect on the national chairman,” he said.

Furthermore, he announced the committee’s intent to pursue legal action against the individuals involved, stating, “The Ward and Local Government Executives, having identified the persons involved in this unfortunate situation, have already prepared to charge them to court for impersonation and calculated attempt to embarrass and dent the image of the Party and that of the National Chairman.”

Appealing for calm among party members, Koko said, “We call on all Party members to disregard the purported suspension and remain calm.”

But by the order of the court, the suspension of Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje as a member of the APC subsists until the court an appeal court orders otherwise.

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