Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, has claimed that the recent attempted suspension to remove him from office was a ploy to diminish President Bola Tinubu’s support in Kano for the 2027 election.
Speaking to a delegation of 27 executive members from his ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State at the party secretariat in Abuja, Ganduje unveiled this revelation.
The meeting was attended by members of the National Working Committee and executive members of Kano APC.
While Ganduje survived the suspension scare on Monday, he was later issued with an ex parte order on Wednesday, prohibiting him from representing himself as a party member. The court order came from a Kano State High Court.
In response to the unfolding events, Ganduje informed the delegation that his inquiry had discovered that the attacks against him were originated from the quarters of the New Nigeria People’s Party and Kano Governor, Abba Yusuf.
He expressed, “I welcome all the party members from Kano here, 27 of them if I am not mistaken. They are all members of my ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government in Kano State. But we have heard your complaint. You complained that you have dissociated yourselves from that false claim (suspension) and in addition, you have appealed that we take appropriate legal action according to the rule of law. This is very vital.
“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 being spread by the NNPP and the governor of Kano State to dismantle our party due to their concerns over the deteriorating state of Kano’s economy, increased political violence, and the decline of political ethics during their tenure. They are sensing the failure of their party and fear losing power in 2027.”
As he reassured his supporters not to be alarmed, Ganduje revealed that he perceived the orchestrated plan as a strategy to hinder Tinubu’s chances of re-election in 2027 by reducing his substantial vote count from Kano in the previous presidential election.
Ganduje also stated that he had already alerted security agencies, including the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi.
Expressing his concerns, Ganduje emphasized that allowing one party to instigate chaos within another political entity could disrupt the democratic process of the nation.
“They are also concerned that we provided the second-highest votes for Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They are afraid that we might significantly increase our vote count, securing the president’s re-election. Therefore, their motive is to sow discord to prevent us from assuming power and to prevent President Bola Tinubu from garnering substantial votes from Kano State.
“We firmly assert that their intentions will falter. We are determined to demonstrate that our position in Kano state is unwavering and poised to deliver a significant number of votes to Mr President. This disruptive behavior in a democracy must not be tolerated within a political party. More importantly, individuals cannot simply be recruited from bus stations and labeled as members of another political group.
“This new form of distraction must be curbed by security agencies and the judiciary. We will not allow these saboteurs and phony APC members to escape unpunished. We have contacted the IGP and DSS DG to investigate the matter. We possess their names, phone numbers, and political affiliations. Some were even identified wearing red caps. Their actions are foolish and reckless. We are committed to pursuing this case to a just conclusion,” he proclaimed.