A Kano State High Court on Wednesday granted an ex parte order restraining the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, from parading himself as a member of the party.
The application, granted by Justice Usman Malam Na’abba on Tuesday, follows an ex parte motion filed by Dr. Ibrahim Sa’ad Esq on behalf of two executive members of APC Ganduje Ward in 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 Abdullahi Ganduje two days ago.
Equally, the court ordered that henceforth, Ganduje should desist from presiding over all affairs of the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC.
Also, the court directed the four parties (respondents) joined in the matter, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), APC National Working Committee (NWC), APC Kano State Working Committee (KSWC), and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to henceforth maintain the status quo ante bellum 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, that the State Working Committee APC Kano be stopped from interfering with the legally and validly considered decision of executives of Ganduje Ward, essentially an action endorsed by a two-thirds majority of the executives as provided by the party constitution.
He thereby stated, “An order is hereby granted directing all parties in the suit, APC (1st), APC National Working Committee (2nd), Kano State Working Committee APC (3rd), Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje (4th), to maintain the status quo ante bellum as of April 15, 2024.
He said, “The order thereby restrains the 1st respondent (APC) from recognizing the 4th respondent (Ganduje) as a member of APC and prohibits the 4th respondent (Ganduje) from presiding over any affairs of the NWC and restrains the State Working Committee from interfering with the legally and validly made decision of the ward executives of Ganduje Ward.
Adding 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.”
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However, it will be recalled that nine members of the Ganduje ward proclaimed the suspension of the National Chairman of APC over allegations of corruption leveled against him by the Kano state government.
The nine APC executives said they were prompted to act following a petition written by one Ja’afaru Adamu, a member of APC from the National Chairman’s polling unit.
According to the petition, Adamu complained about allegations of corruption charges against the former Governor just as he urged the ward leaders to investigate the matter to redeem the dented image of the party and the implication on President Bola Tinubu’s fight against corruption.
Although the chairman and secretary of the ward failed to act on the petition filed since April 8, 2024, nine members of the executives led by the legal adviser had acted upon the petition, a decision that led to the suspension of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
