Kano State High Court has granted an exparte order restraining the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, from parading himself as a member of the party.
Subsequently, the court ordered that, henceforth, Ganduje should desist from presiding over all affairs of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC.
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The application granted by Justice Usman Malam Na’abba on Wednesday follows an exparte motion filed by Dr. Ibrahim Sa’ad Esq. on behalf of two executive members of APC Ganduje 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 who suspended Abdullahi Ganduje two days ago.
The court directed the four parties (respondents) who joined in the matter, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), the APC National Working Committee (NWC), the APC Kano State Working Committee (KSWC), and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to henceforth maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15, 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit on April 30, 2024.
Justice Na’abba also held as prayed, stopped State Working Committee of APC Kano from interfering with the legally and validly considered decision of executives of Ganduje ward, essentially on action endorsed by two-thirds majority of the executives as provided by the party constitution.
“An order is hereby granted directing all parties in the suit, APC (1st), APC National Working Committee (2nd), Kano State Working Committee APC (3rd), and Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje (4th), to maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15, 2024.
”The order thereby restrains the 1st respondent (APC) from recognizing the 4th respondent (Ganduje) as a member of APC, prohibiting the 4th respondent (Ganduje) from presiding over any affairs of the NWC, and restraining the state Working Committee from interfering with the legally and valid decision of the ward executives of Ganduje ward.
“That the 4th respondent (Ganduje) is prohibited from parading himself as a member of APC or doing any act that may portray him or seem to be a member of APC pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”.
It could be recalled that the twenty-seven party leaders of Ganduje ward in the Dawakin Tofa local government area of Kano State stormed the state headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and dissociated themselves from the purported suspension of Ganduje.
Following the recent announcement of Ganduje’s suspension, ward chairman Ahmad Muhammad Ganduje dismissed the claim, saying it was concocted and impersonated.
He stated this at an emergency press briefing at the party’s headquarters in Kano, Monday evening.
He, however, exonerated themselves from the claim and also declared that they had identified the culprits and were going to take legal action against them for impersonation and defamation of character.
“The attention of the Ganduje Ward Executive Committee Members and that of Dawakin Tofa Local Government has been drawn to a purported suspension of the National Chairman of the Party, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, by unfortunately, non-APC members in the Ward.
“Those who addressed the press conference were sponsored by the NNPP state government, and from the record of the party at the Ward, Local Government and State, are not card- carrying members of the APC”.
“The purported suspension was null and void, and would have no any effect on the National Chairman.”.
“The Ward and Local Government Executives, having identified the persons involved in this unfortunate situation, have already prepared to charge them to court for impersonation and calculated attempt to embarrass and dent the image of the Party and that of the National Chairman.”.