Tag: Ganduje

The national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on Wednesday, April 17, received local government and ward executives from Kano state.

The executives were on a solidarity visit to the former governor’s residence following media reports of his alleged suspension from the party.

The visit was disclosed on the official X account of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Read Also: Ganduje remains National Chairman, says APC NWC

They wrote: “The national chairman, Dr. Abdulahi Ganduje, received his legitimate LGA & Ward executives from Kano State on a solidarity visit in the aftermath of media reports of his purported suspension from the Party by an imposter Executive Committee of Ganduje Ward in Dawakin Tofa LGA.”

• Kano chapter to sue ward leaders for suspending ex-governor

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has affirmed that Abdullahi Umar Ganduje remains its National Chairman.

A statement yesterday in Abuja by APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka reads: “The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to media reports of the purported suspension of the National Chairman, HE Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, CON, from the party by the Executive Committee of the Ganduje Ward in the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State. 

“The purported suspension was the devious act of a group of impersonators of ward officials out to cause mischief and create confusion in the otherwise peaceful Ganduje Ward chapter of our party. The perpetrators of this criminal act are not card-carrying members of APC in the ward but are individuals affiliated with senior officials and representatives of the NNPP.

“This act procured by officials of the ruling NNPP in Kano is part of the despicable programme  of political persecution launched by the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf against Ganduje, a former Governor of Kano State. 

Read Also; Nigeria’s security architecture stretched beyond elastic limits, says Tinubu

“The purported suspension is downright criminal, and of no effect whatsoever. The legitimate Executive Committee of the Ganduje Ward has since denounced the action and reaffirmed Dr. Ganduje as a bonafide member of the Party in the Ward, and in good standing.”

Determined to unearth the mastermind behind the suspension, Morka said: “The party has filed a petition with the Inspector General of Police, requesting an expedited investigation of this matter and that the perpetrators and their sponsors be brought to justice.”

Also, the Kano State chapter of the APC has threatened to sue party ward leaders who claimed to have suspended Ganduje.

Addressing reporters in Kano on behalf of the ward and local government executive committee members, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Koko, who is the party’s ward chairman where Ganduje resides, said the party was suing the ward leaders for “conspiracy, impersonation and defamation”.

He said: “The purported suspension was null and void, and would have no any effect on the national chairman.

“The ward and local government executives, having identified the persons involved in this unfortunate situation, have already prepared to charge them to court for impersonation and calculated attempt to embarrass and dent the image of the party and that of the national chairman.

“We call on all party members to disregard the purported suspension and remain calm.”

The purported suspension of All Progressive Congress (APC) National Chairman Abdullahi Umar Ganduje by the Ganduje Ward of the party in Dawakin-Tofa Local Government of Kano State is illegal, null and void, the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party said yesterday.

Early yesterday, the Ward, through nine of its executive members, announced the suspension of Dr. Ganduje, citing alleged corruption and other vices.

The State Executive Committee (SEC) immediately suspended the Ward Executives for their action which it described as manipulated from outside.

Dr. Ganduje has been taken to court by the Kano State Government being controlled by the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Ganduje is being dragged to answer allegations of corruption.

Malam Haladu Gwanjo, who claimed to be the Legal Adviser at the Ward level, accused the former governor of “gross misconduct and misappropriation of public funds during his administration in Kano.”

Speaking on behalf of others, Gwanjo said: “We resolved to pass a vote of no confidence on the National Chairman of the party due to his inability to clear his name from allegations of corruption, particularly the ‘dollar video’ that went viral.

Read Also: Kwankwaso’s boys behind Ganduje’s purported suspension – Group

“The APC leaders in Ganduje Ward are worried that the party is being subjected to unnecessary embarrassment from the rival New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) over unsubstantiated allegations of corruption leveled against Ganduje’s administration.

“Ganduje ward leaders deem it fit to suspend the national chairman to enable him concentrate on the litigation and other hanging issues so that he could appropriately clear his image and that of his family.

“President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the ongoing fight against corruption has made it necessary for Ganduje to deal with the seeming baggage of corruption hanging on his neck as it is already denting the reputation of the APC-led federal government.

“We, the leaders of the APC in Ganduje Ward, after thorough deliberations, decided to suspend the chairman to give him time to clear his name.

“Since Ganduje has been summoned to answer for these accusations, we are being proactive as it could potentially affect the reputation of our political party,” he said.

But the state chapter of the party reacted swiftly and slammed drastic measures against those who announced the suspension.

…says it won’t condone witch-hunt, victimisation

Tension rose in Kano state on Sunday, April 14, over the alleged plan to arraign the immediate past governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje.

Discordant tunes by supporters of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are heating up the polity in the northwestern state as the APC national chairman is said to be arraigned with his family.

The High Court in the state has formally summoned Ganduje, his wife and six others over allegations of financial impropriety while he steered the state as governor for eight years.

The NNPP led administration in the state has set up a Commission of Inquiry to probe Ganduje’s two terms, having been accused of “financial misappropriation and abuse of office.”

Support for or against the litigation in the state dominated political discussions on the local radio stations, including the social  media on Sunday.

Read Also: Yoruba Nation: Heavy security presence at Osun secretariat, Assembly over fear of invasion 

While others are calling for caution, some are fanatically issuing threats.

The heat generated by the court action appeared to have robbed off the beauty of Salah celebration in the ancient city.

There were also fears that the turbulent polity might culminate into serious security crisis.

Governor Abba Yusuf has said his commission of inquiry was not constituted to witch hunt any opponent. 

He has however, always vowed to prosecute Ganduje.

Some residents who spoke on the feud between the two gladiators sued for peace rather than deep animosity.

A resident of Hotoro, Yakubu Isa, said: “I think the timing, and every other time isn’t the best to instigate a political war against one another, after all, the religion is against probe.

Tanimu Auwalu of Rijiyallemo on his part advised Abba Yusuf to face governance to justify his mandate.

Auwalu Rijiyallemo explained that “government should be preoccupied with the execution of blueprints instead of the needless war on political opponents

Hajiya Ayi isa Dosa on her part advised the governor to shun all forms of distraction because time is not on his side.

She stressed that “voters will be swayed by the level of infrastructure on ground than what Ganduje has done wrong”

Garba Kore, a chieftain of the APC in a radio interview that is being serialised in Kano, warned that the governor’s action is not in good faith.

He accused the governor of “fighting a proxy war against a respected former governor, ” stressing that “in the interest of equity and fairness, let them extend Dr. Ganduje probe to cover his tenure as Kwankwaso’s deputy.”

Similarly, another Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso warned: “Let it be known to governor Yusuf, that who is leaving inside a glass house should not throws stones, because the stone may eventually hit him.”

Kano state APC chairman, Abdullahi Abbas said the party will continue to be law abiding, it will however, not condone witch-hunt, political victimisation and persecution.”

In his reaction, the Commissioner of Police in Kano, Ussaini Gumel, said the state is safe.

“The police didn’t prepare charges against the former governor. In other words, we are out of it.

“The state government should speak on it, and I think the attorney General is in good stead to speak. But however, the city is safe for the citizens,” the police commissioner said on telephone.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has told opposition parties in Ondo the ruling party will retain its hold on the State at the November governorship election.

He promised all the 16 Ondo governorship aspirants a level playing ground during the party’s April 20 primary election.

He spoke through the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru while receiving the expression of interest and nomination forms of Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele to mark the closing of submission of forms for all the 16 aspirants who purchased the forms at the APC national secretariat, Abuja.

Ganduje said the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party is committed to ensuring that the rules guiding the conduct of the primary election are adhered to.

According to him: “The party is interested and desirous of conducting a free fair transparent primary in Ondo state.

“For us is the only guarantee that at the end of the exercise out of the 16, we are aware only 1 will emerge and the rest can extend the hand of felicitation with whoever emerges as we did in Edo state.

“Edo has become a test case, they know that the party is resolute in determining through a process that is free for the candidate of the party to emerge.”

Recalling the outcome of the just-concluded Edo APC primary, the Chairman noted that even “the few who felt they would need to go to court as we would always expect, up till now they were three sixty degrees turnaround.

“They came to the negotiations table, had a handshake and now we have a very formidable team, and we believe that APC would win Edo state. And if we trust that APC would win Edo state, we have confidence that APC will win Ondo state.”

Declaring the submission exercise closed, the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Duru said by Monday the party will release the schedule and format for the screening of the 16 aspirants ahead of the April 20 primary election.

“Of the 16 of you that purchased the form, 15 have submitted and you have closed the gate as number 16 today marks the formal closure of the first step of the exercise towards nominating and electing the person that would fly the flag of our party in the forthcoming gubernatorial exercise in Ondo state.

“Being the last day of closure of submission of forms and after today, the next exercise would be the screening exercise that would take place on the 11th and 12th of April, next week after that would then the primary’s proper.

“I am happy to inform you that given the way we have run this Secretariat, the organisation directorate, will shortly advise all the aspirants that the latest Monday of the basketing into which each of the aspirants fell in, so they don’t need to come and wait endlessly.

“We would basket the aspirants into groups, we would have done it today, but because of the different views of when the holidays would fall, our confidence is that by Monday the government would have released the date for the Salah holiday.”

Read Also: Ganduje to Yusuf: Stop using diversionary tactics to cover up your failures

Checks in the party’s Directorate of Organisation showed Governor Lucky Orimisan Ayiedatiwa and 15 others who picked the expression of interest and nomination forms for the shadow election beat the submission deadline

The aspirants are women, including Engr. Funmilayo Mary Whaeed Adekojo and Engr. (Mrs.) Funke Omogoroye Folakemi Judith.

Others are: Olusoji Adewale Ehinlanwo, Hon. Okunjimi Odimayo John, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim and APC National Vice Chairman (South West) Duerimini Isaacs Kekemeke.

Others are Akinfolarin Mayo Samuel, Adewale Okumuyiwa Akinterinwa, Olugbenga Omogbemi Edema and Chief Olusola Alexander Oke (SAN), Gen. Ohunyeye Olamide Felix, Barr Morayo Lebi, Garvey Oladiran Iyanjan, Prof. Francis Adebayo fFaduyile and Engr. Ifeoluwa Olusola Oyedele.

The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has told Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State to face governance and stop using diversionary tactics to cover up for his failure to deliver to the people of the state.

The state government recently announced its intention to file criminal charges against him over alleged bribery of $413,000, and N1.38 billion.

But in a reaction to the development, Ganduje, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu in Abuja yesterday described the remark of the governor as unfortunate and a sorry attempt to shift public glare from the fact that there is nothing on the ground in the state to justify the sharp increase in statutory allocations to the state since the inception of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration on May 29, 2023.

Expressing confidence that the latest attempt by the state government to drag his name in the mud would fail, Ganduje noted that the action of the government spoke volumes of the level of crass ignorance and disregard for the rule of law by the Governor Abba Yusuf-led administration.

“In their desperate attempt to malign me and my family, they either forgot or probably cannot conduct themselves by the dictates of the law,” he affirmed.

“They failed to take judicial notice of the recent pronouncement of the Federal High Court in Kano which ruled that the so-called offence I am being accused of is a federal offence that can only be prosecuted by the Attorney General of the Federation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“Rather than join issues with my traducers in Kano over the trumped-up charges levelled against me, I would implore them to redirect their energies towards easing the plights of our people in Kano,” Ganduje counselled.

Read Also: Call Ganduje’s attackers to order, APC chief tells Soludo

“They still have the opportunity to revert to my blueprint for the sustainable growth and development of Kano State. It is not yet late in the day for them to emulate my developmental strides. They can still salvage the situation as my tenure was devoid of any wrongdoings.”

Welcoming the decision by the administration to set up two committees to probe him over alleged misappropriation of public property, political violence and missing persons in the state, Ganduje said it would have been in the best interest of the state to extend the probe to start from 1999 to date.

“As the saying goes, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. It shouldn’t be seen as targeted at my administration alone. It should not be seen to be borne out of malice, vindictiveness and ill will. It should be for public good and interest,” he declared.

“We conducted the affairs of governance in the state openly and transparently during my tenure. We don’t need to be seeking direction from our masters to do what is proper,” he stressed.