The attempt to suspend the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, by his ward executives has been foiled by Justice A. M. Liman of the Federal High Court in Kano, who stopped the purported suspension.
The court also restrained all the respondents and their agents from implementing the decisions reached at the executive meeting of the APC held at the Ganduje Ward of Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area on April 15, 2024, pending the determination and hearing of his substantive application for the enforcement of his fundamental rights.
Justice Liman, while ruling on a motion exparte filed by Ganduje for the enforcement of his fundamental right to fair hearing, also asked the parties to maintain the status quo before the purported emergency meeting of the alleged executive members of the APC ward.
“All the respondents, their servants, agents or privies are hereby restrained from implementing and/or giving effect to the purported decision reached during the purported emergency meeting of the alleged executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, held at Ganduje Ward of Dawakin Tofa Local.
“All the parties are hereby mandated to maintain status quo before the purported emergency meeting of the alleged executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, and to stay action in respect of this matter pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application,” Justice Liman said.
The judge subsequently fixed April 30 to hear Ganduje’s suit.
Meanwhile, the APC said the masterminds are members of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and filed a petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC), alleging that the judge who gave the order has been compromised.
On Wednesday, the Kano State High Court granted an ex parte order restraining Ganduje from parading himself as a member of the party, thereby affirming his suspension.
But the APC National Working Committee (NWC) described the order as fraudulent and unlawful. The APC National Legal Adviser, Prof. Abdulkarim Kana stated this while briefing journalists shortly after the APC Ward Executives from Ganduje Ward in Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State visited the party’s National Chairman in his office in Abuja.
Kana also said the Ganduje Ward Executives had proceeded to the National Judicial Council (NJC) to submit a petition for Kano High Court Judge, Justice Usman Na’abba to be called to order.
The ex parte motion against Ganduje was filed by Dr Ibrahim Sa’ad on behalf of two executive members of Ganduje’s ward, Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area, the Assistant Secretary, Laminu Sani and Legal Adviser, Haladu Gwanjo (plaintiffs), who were part of the nine ward executives that suspended Ganduje.
Earlier, the APC chairman for Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, Halliru Gwanzo, who led the ward EXCO distanced themselves from the purported suspension and the court case filed against Ganduje leading to that order.
He insisted that he was impersonated and called on the party’s leadership to probe the matter and punish those found guilty of illicit act, saying the act of the handiwork of the NNPP administration in the state.
Ganduje appreciated the party executive members and ward officials from Ganduje Ward for distancing themselves from the purported plot to remove him from the party’s leadership and membership.
He attributed the development to the plan of Governor Abba Yusuf of the NNPP to weaken APC in the state ahead of the 2027 general election and other electoral contests.
