- Ward EXCO: Ganduje Stands suspended on Corruption Charges …
- State EXCO: We have Voided the Purported Suspension As the Ward Lacks power to do so
- Edo APC Stalwart: Oshiomhole’s Removal As National APC Chairman was based on Ward EXCO’s decision… so there is a precedence…
By Abiola Olawale
There are indications of a fresh crisis in the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the purported suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Ganduje.
The development began when the APC’s executives of the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, declared on Monday that they had purportedly suspended Ganduje.
The announcement was made by the ward’s legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, who addressed journalists in Kano on Monday.
The New Diplomat reports that Ganduje has been witnessing stormy waters since the Kano State government initiated a formal summons against him, his wife, his son, and five others at a Kano State High Court last Tuesday over allegations of financial impropriety while in office.
The former Governor was accused of collecting a $400,000 kickback from a contractor. The government also accused Ganduje of criminal conspiracy, misappropriation, diversion of public funds, and bribery, to the tune of N1.3 billion.
Gwanzo said that the former governor has to clear his name of corruption allegations regarding his long-standing dollar bribery video case.
“We decided to suspend Dr. Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo stated.
However, in a swift move, the APC Kano state working committee has rejected the purported suspension of Ganduje.
The party also said that it has already taken drastic measures against some Ward Party Leaders who suspended the National Chairman of the Party.
The party said that those behind the suspension of the National Chairman were caught in anti-party activities and their records of meetings with the opposition were exposed.
The party also adopted the suspension of the APC Ward APC leaders. The state working committee of the Party said they have sanctioned the perpetrators for six months and a special investigations panel has been set up to verify several allegations against them.
The Kano Chairman of the Party, Abdullahi Abbas, said: “We have evidence of meetings between the state government officials and those that suspended the National Chairman. The state working committee has agreed to sanction them for six months and they stand now suspended.”
Reacting to the development an Edo APC chieftain who spoke with the members of the press on the condition of anonymity said what is happening in Kano State is the same tactics used in suspending the former APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
The APC Chieftain said going by precedence, Ganduje is no longer a member of the party and can no longer parade himself as the National Chairman of the party.
It would be recalled that Oshiomhole was suspended by APC ward executives of the Etsako Ward 10 in Edo state. He was subsequently removed from office following a turbulent relationship with the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) and his battle with his former protege, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State.
