A petition has been submitted by the All Progressives Congress, accusing nine individuals of orchestrating the suspension of its National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, whom they claim are impostors. The party has called upon the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to apprehend them.
Prof. Abdulkareem Kana, the APC National Legal Adviser, drafted the two-page petition, which specifically names the suspects as Auwalu Jemomi, Muhde Weti, Danmala Gale, Samaila Haladu, Laminu Sani Barguma, Musa Lado Lado Maishayi, Amadu Maishayi, and Umar Amarwa.
In the letter, it was stated: “On April 15, 2024, Auwalu Galadima Jemomi and his partners, purportedly representing the APC executives from Ganduje Ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government, Kano State, falsely issued a press release suspending our National Chairman, Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, from the party. This unauthorized announcement has caused significant confusion and unrest among our members and the general public.
The party emphasized the need for the Nigerian Police Force to promptly investigate the matter and apprehend those involved in the fraudulent act to maintain public order and peace.
The situation escalated on Monday when the executives of the Ganduje Ward in the Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State announced Ganduje’s suspension. The ward’s Legal Adviser, Haladu Gwanjo, linked the suspension to bribery charges brought against Ganduje by the Kano State Government.
Despite the immediate overruling of the suspension by the Kano State Chapter of the APC, a lawyer, Dr. Ibrahim Sa’ad, obtained a court order restraining Ganduje from acting as the APC National Chairman following the ward’s suspension.
In a surprising turn of events, Gwanjo and other ward executives met with Ganduje in Abuja, denying any involvement in the suspension and the court order. The APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, accused them of being impostors allegedly linked to the Kano ruling party, the New Nigeria People’s Party.
The ruling party vowed not to obey the court order restraining Ganduje and also lodged a complaint against the Kano judge at the National Judicial Council.
A Federal High Court in Kano was approached by the APC on Thursday to invalidate Ganduje’s suspension. Justice A.M. Liman granted the order, declaring Ganduje’s suspension null and void.
The court ordered all parties to maintain the status quo before the suspension and stay action on the matter until further hearings. Ganduje’s appeal is set to be heard on April 30.
Morka reiterated the party’s stance of not honoring the initial court order affirming Ganduje’s suspension, placing their support behind the Kano Federal High Court order for a stay.
Abdulazeez, Ganduje’s eldest son, visited the Chairman of Kano State Anti-corruption and Public Complaints Commission, Mr. Muhuyi Magaji, expressing solidarity with the probe into his father.
Abdulazeez visited the anti-corruption agency to show support for the case against his father, mother, and brother. Previously, he had taken his mother to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over a bribery and land fraud case.
The Kano State government has filed criminal charges against Ganduje over alleged bribery, with 15 witnesses assembled to testify against him. Ganduje, along with his wife and son, were listed in the charge sheet but were absent from court for arraignment.