April 18, (THEWILL)- The embattled National chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has secured a counter-court order stopping his suspension from the Party.
In an ex-parte application filed before Justice A. M. Liman of the Federal High Court sitting in Kano, on April 17, Ganduje, while invoking Section 46 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, asked the Court to intervene in the decisions made during an emergency meeting of the executive members of the APC, Ganduje Ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area.
THEWILL had reported that Ganduje was suspended on Monday, by the executive members of Ganduje Ward in the Dawakin-Tofa local government area of Kano State.
The legal adviser of the ward, Haladu Gwanjo, accused the former governor of gross misconduct and misappropriation of public funds during his administration in the state. He said the suspension of the party national chairman was a unanimous decision of the members of the ward, adding that Ganduje could not clear his name amid corruption allegations that followed the 8-year administration.
In a follow-up on Wednesday, Justice Usman Malam Na’Abba of the Kano State High Court, affirmed the suspension of Dr Abdullahi Ganduje following an ex parte motion filed by Dr Ibrahim Sa’ad on behalf of two executive members of Ganduje’s ward, Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area, the Assistant Secretary, Laminu Sani and the Legal Adviser, Haladu Gwanjo (plaintiffs), who were among the nine ward executives, who suspended Ganduje on Monday.
Justice Na’Abba also restrained Ganduje from parading himself as a member of the APC pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
However, ruling on a counter-motion Exparte filed on April 17, 2024, before Justice A. M. Liman of the Federal High Court sitting in Kano, the court issued an order restraining the ward APC executives led by Haladu Gwanjo and eight others by preventing them from implementing or enforcing any decisions reached during the said meeting dated April 4, 2024.
Ganduje had in a suit Suit No. FHC/KN/CS/122/2021, pleaded for an order of the “Honourable Court restraining all the Respondents, their servants, agents or privies from Implementing and or giving 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 of Kano State on the 15th April 2024 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application for the enforcement of fundamental rights of the Applicant.
“An order mandating all the parties to maintain status quo before the purported emergency meeting of the alleged Executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, and to stay all action in respect of this matter pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application.”
Granting Ganduje’s prayers, Justice Liman stated, “After reading the affidavit in support of Motion sworn to by Sulaiman A. Sulaiman, Adult, Male, Muslim, and a Nigerian Citizen of No. 38 Bargery Road, Kano, and filed at the Court Registry.
“And after hearing Jazuli Mustapha Esq. with Hadiza Nasir Ahmad Esq. move in terms of the Motion Paper, it is hereby ordered as follows:
“That all the Respondents, their servants, agents or privies are hereby restrained 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 of Kano State on the 15th April 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application for the enforcement of fundamental rights of the Applicant.
“That all the parties are hereby mandated to maintain the status quo before the purported emergency meeting of the alleged Executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, and to stay all action in respect of this matter pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application.
“That the matter is fixed for 30th April 2024 for hearing.”
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