The Ganduje ward leadership of All Progress Congress (APC) in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State has announced the alleged suspension of former governor of Kano State and current national chairman of APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, pending the outcome of the corruption charges filed against him.
This was disclosed during a press briefing held in Kano.
While reading the ward party leadership resolution, the legal advisor, Malama Haladu Gwanja Ganduje, stated that the party had to take the decision for posterity sake.
Responding to the issue, APC Secretary in Kano, Zakari Sarina, told journalists that “this is a case of impersonation. We will be issuing a formal statement on this very soon.”
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf had set up two panels to probe corruption and political violence between 2015 and 2023, when Ganduje governed the state.
Subsequently, a Kano High Court fixed April 17, 2024, for the arraignment of Ganduje, his wife, and six others.
They are to be arraigned on eight counts of charges concerning dollar bribery allegation, diversion, and misappropriation of funds that include alleged $413,000 and N1.38bn bribery, among others.
In the writ of summon sighted by our reporter, other respondents in the suit are Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Hafsat Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd., and Lesage General Enterprises.
Kano State Government, in the criminal suit filed against the 8 respondents, said it has assembled 15 witnesses to appear before the Court.
The matter is fixed for April 17, 2024, before Justice Usman Na’aba of State High Court number four.
Confirming the development, the State Attorney General, Haruna Isah Dederi, said the case has been filed and all parties involved will be served accordingly.
The Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in the State, Haruna Isah Dederi who spoke with our reporter, confirmed that Ganduje, wife and six others will be arraigned on the said date.
He said, “It is very true. We have filed the case, and it’s going to hold on April 17, 2024. What I cannot confirm is whether he is served or not, but he will definitely be served.
“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. He was saying that we couldn’t prosecute him, forgetting that the offense also falls under the category of state offenses. It’s not totally a federal affair, and we have even appealed to Justice Liman’s ruling on that.”
