Abdullahi Ganduje
By Our Reporter
The plot to unseat National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, thickened as some party leaders in Ganduje Ward of Dawakin Tofa LGA of the State, announced his suspension from the party but this was checkmated by the State Working Committee of Kano State chapter of the APC who announced the suspension of the party leaders at ward level.
Recall that the APC at Ganduje Ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of the State had suspended the party’s National Chairman over allegation of bribery against him by the Kano State Government.
In a swift response by the party’s leadership at the local government office, Ganduje’s suspension was thwarted and those behind it sacked.
The APC chairman in Dawakin Tofa local government area, Inusa Suleiman Dawanau, told journalists in Kano on Monday that those behind the suspension of the APC National Chairman were caught in anti-party activities with records of their meetings with the ruling party in the State exposed.
In addition to the suspension, the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party has also sanctioned the Ganduje Ward party leaders for six months and a special investigation panel has been set up to verify several allegations against them.
The Kano State APC chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, said that they, at the state level, have since adopted the decisions of the party at the local government level, and were investigating the alleged anti-party activities of the culprits.
“We have evidence of meetings between the state government officials and those that suspended the National Chairman, and SWC has agreed to sanction them for six months and they now stand suspended,” the APC chairman said.
The SWC also declared that the suspension of the National Chairman by the Ganduje Ward party chieftains was invalid and remains null and void.
Those who want Ganduje removed as APC chairman dragged him before a Kano High Court over allegations of bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds, including the purported acceptance of $413,000 and N1.38bn in bribes.
The matter is expected to come up on April 17, 2024.
The Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Dederi, who confirmed the development, said Ganduje would be arraigned alongside his wife and six others.
The accused individuals, as listed in the writ of summon, include Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Hafsat Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lesage General Enterprises.
The Kano State Government, which initiated the criminal suit against the eight respondents, has declared its readiness to present 15 witnesses to testify before Justice Usman Na’aba of State High Court number four.
“It is very true. We have filed the case and it’s going to hold on the 17th of April, 2024. What I cannot confirm is whether he is served or not, but he will definitely be served,” he said.
Dederi further highlighted the significance of accountability in governance, remarking, “What he (Ganduje) doesn’t understand is that you cannot run away from the evil day, it will definitely come to you, and this will even serve as a deterrence to all of us that are also in government now.”
The commissioner also addressed the jurisdictional aspect of the case, asserting,
“He was saying that we can’t prosecute him, forgetting that the offence also falls under the category of the state offences,” he said.
“It’s not totally a federal affair and we have even appealed to Justice Liman ruling on that.”
Dederi stated that Ganduje committed the offence while he was governor of Kano State.
