Court affirms Ganduje’s sack, APC kicks

• Ward exco members petition CJN, NJC over judge

Kano State High Court has granted an ex parte order restraining National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, from parading himself as member of the party.

Subsequently, it ordered the ex-governor, to henceforth, desist from presiding over affairs of the ruling party.

Justice Usman Malam Na’Abba, yesterday, made the order in the application filed by Dr Ibrahim Sa’ad on behalf of two executive members of APC Ganduje Ward in Dawakin-Tofa council area of the state, namely the assistant secretary, Laminu Sani, and legal adviser, Haladu Gwanjo (plaintiffs), who were part of the nine ward executive that suspended the embattled party chair two days ago.

The court directed the four parties (respondents) joined in the matter, including the APC, its National Working Committee (NWC), Kano State Working Committee (KSWC) and Ganduje to, henceforth, maintain status quo ante belum as from April 15 pending hearing and determination of the substantive suit on April 30.

The judge also restrained KSWC from interfering with the decision of the ward, since the action was endorsed by two-thirds majority of the executive, as provided by the party constitution.

The nine members proclaimed Ganduje’s suspension on the heels of corruption allegations against him by the state government.

They explained that their action was further prompted by a petition written by one Ja’afaru Adamu, an APC member, from the embattled national chairman’s polling unit, alleging graft charges against him.

Responding to the ruling, the governing party at the national level insisted that Ganduje remains its leader.

APC’s National Legal Adviser, Prof. AbdulKarim Kana, who briefed reporters yesterday in Abuja, maintained that the Kano court lacked the jurisdiction to meddle into party affairs.

He described the applicants as not only imposters, but also fake persons unknown to the party.

Kana continued: “The court has no jurisdiction on the issue. The persons, who appeared before him are fraud and impersonators. One of the so -called defendants is even here with us in Abuja. The court has gone too far on this issue.

“We heard this afternoon (yesterday) that they have gone to court to obtain an unlawful order which cannot be enforced. It was obtained by fraud. The individuals who obtained the order are not APC members. We don’t know them.”

This is even as the former governor accused the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) of persecuting him to undermine President Bola Tinubu’s chances of returning to office.

He spoke when he received in Abuja officials of the Kano chapter, who were on a solidarity visit.

Ganduje claimed that the Governor Abba Yusuf administration was part of a grand plan to whittle down the electoral fortunes of the APC in Kano.

He said: “In fact, what is happening is that it is an incursion into our political party by the NNPP government of Kano to destroy our party. They are so concerned that in their first year in office, they have seen their failures right from the destruction of the economy of Kano State to increased political violence, and also destruction of political morality in Kano.

“We are battle-ready to take over their government. They are concerned that Kano produces the highest votes. They are so concerned that we will repeat the same feat for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We will ensure that in 2027, there is no vacancy for any presidential candidate from Kano and Nigeria that would win any election.”

Besides, the ruling party has reported Judge Na’Abba to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, and National Judicial Commission (NJC).

In a petition to the CJN, APC contended that the jurist overstepped his bounds by dabbling into its affairs.
It argued that the decision to intervene in internal party affairs without clear and compelling reasons to circumvent its mechanisms constitutes judicial overreach.

The petition was signed and presented by Malam Ahmed Muhammad and other members of the executive committee members of Ganduje Ward.

Justifying the move, the petitioners argued: “The core of this petition revolves around the principle that the judiciary should not intervene in the internal affairs of a political party without clear evidence that the party’s internal mechanisms, as outlined in its constitution, have been exhausted. The APC’s constitution provides specific procedures for handling disputes and disciplinary actions within the party. Article 21.1(I) clearly provides for the right to fair hearing in relation to discipline of members of the party.”