… Group protests, warns against repeat of Zamfara 2019 incident
From Desmond Mgboh, Kano and Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano and presided over by A. M. Iman, yesterday, halted the suspension of the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, from APC.
The order followed an application for enforcement of fundamental rights to fair hearing brought before the court by the APC national chairman.
The respondents in the case included Haladu Gwanjo, Malami Mai, Mohammadu Baiti, Damalam Gale, Umar Sanda , Auwalu Galadima, Abubakar Dauda, the Nigeria Police, Kano State Commissioner of Police, the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The court, having read the affidavit in support of the motion which was sworn to by Suliaman A. Suleiman and the hearing by Jazuli Mustapha, restrained the implementation of the suspension of the APC national chairman.
The court further restrained all the respondents, their servants, agents or privies from implementing and/or given 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 Government Area on April 15, pending the determination of the substantive application for the enforcement of the fundamental rights of the applicant.
The court also mandated all parties to maintain status quo as it was before the emergency meeting of the alleged executive members of Ganduje ward as well as to stay all actions in respect of the matter pending the hearing of the substantive application
The court fixed April 30 for the hearing of the case.
On April 15, the ward executive of the Ganduje ward in Dawakin Tofa council in Kano State suspended the APC national chairman citing allegations of corruption levelled against him by the state government
However, the suspension was promptly suspended by the state executive council of the party, which on the same day suspended the ward party executive for alleged anti-party activities.
But a Kano High Court, presided over by Usman Naabba on Wednesday affirmed the suspension.
However, apprehension and confusion has gripped Kano political landscape, following the conflicting court orders by a state high court and a Federal High Court, all sitting in Kano
Meanwhile, concerned APC group, under the auspices of Guardian of Democracy and Development Initiative (GoDDI), has expressed concerns over the consequences of Ganduje conducting this weekend’s Ondo State primary following the controversies trailing his alleged suspension by his ward.
Although conflicting orders from the same courts of coordinate jurisdiction from the Federal High Court in Kano, upheld and halted his suspension, the group expressed concerns over the consequences the suspension could have on the Ondo election.
The group, which protested yesterday, at the national secretariat, urged the party to allow another official to conduct the primary instead of the embattled national chairman.
Brandishing posters with various inscriptions, the group warned the party’s leadership against a repeat of the Zamfara debacle of 2019.
In a short speech entitled: “Threat to APC primary in Ondo State due to continuous interference on Ganduje despite court order restraining him,” the group warned that his involvement could invalidate the election and scuttle the chances of the party.
“We are constrained to write to inform you about the recent events that are posing threats to our great party participating in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State.
“You will recall that Ganduje, having been suspended by his ward in Kano State and subsequently restrained by Kano State High Court, ought to refrain from interfering with anything that has to do with Ondo APC primary as he lacks locus standi to do so and attempting to act will amount to building something on nothing.
‘It is important to, therefore, save our party from impending doom by ensuring all action taken so far since the suspension of the national chairman be invalidated and the person empowers to act as the national chairman in the face of the suspension of the national chairman is allowed to act so that whatever is done in furtherance of Ondo primary will not be invalidated,” it said.
