The Kano state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) State Working Committee (SWC) has suspended ward party leaders who earlier suspended the national chairman of the party, Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, from the party.
Blueprint reports that the APC Ganduje ward in Dawkin Tofa local government area Monday suspended the party’s national chairman.
But in a swift reaction, the Dawakin Tofa local government area chapter thwarted the suspension and sacked those behind the suspension of Ganduje.
The chairman, Inusa Dawanau, told newsmen shortly after suspending Ganduje that those behind the suspension of the party’s national chairman were caught in anti-party activities, and their records of meetings with the opposition were exposed.
The SWC adopted the suspension of the ward’s APC leaders behind Ganduje’s purported suspension.
It said: “They have sanctioned them for six months, and a special investigations panel has been set up to verify several allegations against them.”
According to the committee, Ganduje’s suspension was invalid, null and void and cannot stand.
…State APC chair
Also reacting to the issue, the state’s APC chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, said they had since adopted the decisions of the local government party leaders and were now investigating the culprits’ anti-party activities.
“We have evidence of meetings between the State Government officials and those who suspended the National Chairman, and the State Working Committee has agreed to sanction them for six months. They will remain suspended until the expiration of the period,” Abbas said.
The ward’s legal adviser, Halliru Gwanjo, had while addressing a news conference, said they decided to suspend Ganduje from the party due to the allegations levelled against him by the Kano state Government.
Earlier, the Kano State High Court fixed April 17, 2024, for the arraignment of the immediate past governor of the state, his wife, son, and five others for alleged bribery.
Ganduje and the others will be arraigned on eight counts, including a $413,000 bribery allegation, diversion, and misappropriation of funds totallingN1.38 billion.
However, the Federal High Court in Kano ruled that the Kano Public Compliant and Anti-Corruption Commission lack the power to investigate Ganduje over an alleged $5m bribery video.
While delivering his judgment, Justice Abdullahi Liman, said the offence was a federal offence that could be prosecuted by the Attorney General of the Federation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
…APC group wants ‘NNPP boys’ arrested
Meanwhile, a group loyal to the ruling APC and called Progressives Foundational Movement (PFM) has called for the immediate arrest of the masterminds of the purported suspension of Ganduje in his ward.
In a statement signed Monday in Abuja by its chairman, Emmanuel Aribigbe, the group noted that the faces of persons behind the suspension clearly showed they were the mole within APC sponsored by the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the state.
The statement said: “We can authoritatively report that the press conference which took place in Kano and not at the ward was held by known members of the NNPP. The pertinent question to is, how many ward executive officers were at the conference?
“These characters are known supporters of Engr Rabiu Kwankwaso, who is an arch rival of our able National Chairman.
“We, however, called on the security agencies to quickly order the arrest of the faces at the press conference and properly investigate their sponsors.
“Our National Chairman has not committed any offence that should warrant suspension by the ward executive.
“We also call on all our members, general public and most especially the supporters of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje all over the world to be calm and ignore the failed coup by some enemies of democracy.”
