The Federal High Court in Kano State has issued an order restraining the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ganduje Ward of Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State from taking further action against the National Chairperson of the APC, Umar Ganduje, pending the determination of a suit filed before the court by the chairperson.

The judge, A.M. Liman, gave the order in a judgment delivered in suit no. FHC/KN/CS/122/2024, filed by Mr Ganduje regarding the enforcement of his fundamental rights to fair hearing.

Mr Liman ordered that the ward’s legal adviser, Halidu Maigwanjo, and 13 other respondents are restrained from enforcing the suspension issued by the executive of the ward against Mr Ganduje, pending the determination of the suit.

He also ordered the court to maintain the status quo from before the 15 April event.

“All the respondents, their servants, agents, or privies are hereby restrained from implementing 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 on April 15, 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application for the enforcement of fundamental rights of the applicant.”

In addition, the court ordered, “that all the parties are hereby mandated to maintain the status quo from 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.”

The judge subsequently fixed 20 April for the hearing of the case.

Background

PREMIUM TIMES reported that some APC members in Ganduje Ward of Dawakin-Tofa LGA of Kano State suspended the party’s National Chairperson, Mr Ganduje.

The party’s legal adviser in the ward, Halidu Maigwanjo, alongside others, announced the suspension at a press conference in Kano on Monday.

Mr Maigwanjo stated that Mr Ganduje was suspended from the party to allow him to face an allegation of corruption levelled against him by the Kano State Government.

However, in a swift response, the State Working Committee of the APC sanctioned the Ganduje Ward executives hours after the suspension was announced.

The state chairperson of the party, Abdullahi Abbas, announced the suspension of the Ganduje Ward executives for six months for anti-party activities.

Conflicting Court Orders

The order by the Federal High Court in Kano is the latest in this saga.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported the ex-parte order issued by the Kano State High Court upholding the suspension of Mr Ganduje.

Following an ex-parte motion filed by Ibrahim Sa’ad on behalf of two executive members of the party in the ward, the High Court in Kano granted an order restraining Mr Ganduje from parading himself as a party member.

READ ALSO: Kano APC ward excos petition NJC over ex-parte order upholding Ganduje’s suspension

Also, the court ordered Mr Ganduje to stop presiding over the affairs of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC.

However, some loyalists of Mr Ganduje wrote a petition against the judge, Usman Na’Abba, who issued the ex-parte motion. They asked the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the actions of the judge.