*** Summons ward executives to Abuja
*** Asks NJC to sanction Kano judge
***Order obtained by fraud, unenforceable, won’t be obeyed – APC
BY EZEOCHA NZEH
The embattled National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdulahi Umar Ganduje seems battle ready to leave no stoned unturned as he battles to retain his seat at the party’s National Working Committee (NWC)
This is as the former Kano state governor, who was on Monday handed a controversial suspension by his Ganduje’ ward of the APC in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of the state summoned the ward executives of the party to a meeting with the National Working Committee members in Abuja
Briefing the media at the end of the meeting the APC NWC described the purported suspension as a farce, adding that no member of the Ganduje ward executives of the party aligned with the fake pronouncement
While the meeting was going on, the matter became more complicated, when news filtered in that a Kano court has affirmed the suspension of Ganduje’ by his ward, stopped the embattled former governor from parading himself as APC national chairman
Ganduje’, who addressed his ward executives at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, said those who purportedly suspended him were impostors.
As the meeting was going on, pro Ganduje’ supporters stormed the APC secretariat, chanting solidarity songs in support of the former hovey
Addressing hundreds of supporters in front of the APC gate, Ganduje accused the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) led Kano State Government of being jittery over the rising electoral profile of President Bola Tinubu in the state.
He said; “There is no doubt controversies will always come up in politics. I am not surprised when such controversies emerge from the grassroots.
“After a fair and critical investigation, it was found that those who met with officials of Kano state government are not executive members of either the ward or local government and they are not even members of our political party.
“I have to appreciate you for showing your concern. In fact, what is happening is an incursion into our political party by the NNPP and the government of Kano State in order to destroy our party because they have seen their failures in their first year in office in terms of the economy and political unrest in the state.
“They are so concerned that we are battle ready to take over the government come 2027. They are so concerned that we got the second highest votes for Mr President and that we will get even higher in order to ensure that 2027 is a walk over.
“Their motive is to create confusion in our party so that we won’t have the courage and mind to take over the government of Kano and to also ensure that our president does not have intimidating votes from Kano State. Their intentions will fail.
“We want to assure Mr President that our party in Kano State is intact. It is solid. It is battle ready in order to give the highest votes to Mr President”.
He described the development as a new “destructive phenomenon”, adding that the APC leadership would ensure that the impersonators are punished.
“We have heard your complaints which is that you have dissociated yourself from the charade and you are appealing to us to take appropriate legal action according to the rule of law.
“This is a new destructive phenomenon in democracy which should not be allowed to thrive, if elements of another political party could sit down and claim that they are executive members of another political party. I think this should be checked even by security agencies”, he said.
Also, National Legal Adviser of the Party, Prof. Abdulkarim Kana said the Kano High Court order is not enforceable as it was obtained by fraud.
Kana told Journalists at the national secretariat that what happened in Kano was a ‘typical 419 situation’, referring to Section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code, which provides punishment for the scam of impersonation and fraud.
He disclosed that the Ganduje ward executives of the APC would petition the National Judicial Council NJC to call the high court judge to order.
He said; “It is a typical 419 situation and they went too far by obtaining a fraudulent judgment. We also heard this afternoon about that order. We haven’t seen it but any form of order that emanates from falsehood, then you know that such order is unlawful and will not be recognized or respected.
“The individuals who are behind this are not APC members. They are not members of the ward executive or any APC Exco of any local government for that matter. We don’t know them.
“The Ganduje ward executive are also going to the NJC to submit a petition against the judge who granted the exparte order.
“If a judge refuses to invite the other party before granting such order and even follows the order with a threat, you know that such judge has a vested interest. Those who purportedly went and appeared before him are fraudsters.
“One of those whose names appeared in court in the case is here in Abuja at the secretariat and his name is appearing over there. Where are they getting all these things? They have gone too far and the court has also gone too far”.
He said the NJC had before now issued a directive to courts not to issue such fraudulent exparte orders without listening to the other party.
“What would it have taken the judge to order that the APC be served a hearing notice”?, he asked
