From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the purported suspension of its National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, describing it as devious act of impostors, downright criminal and of no effect whatsoever
The NWC, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, claimed that the Ward officials were out to cause mischief and create confusion in the otherwise peaceful Ward chapter of the party.
Morka claimed that it was an act procured by officials of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano as part of its despicable programme of political persecution launched by the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf against the former governor.
The legitimate Executive Committee of the Ganduje Ward has since denounced the action and reaffirmed Ganduje as a bonafide member of the party in the Ward, and in good standing, he stated.
The NWC revealed that it had filed a petition with the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, requesting an expedited investigation of the matter and that the perpetrators and their sponsors be brought to justice.
“We urge our party faithful and the general public to disregard reports of the suspension of the National Chairman who is, and remains, the National Chairman of our great party,” the NWC emphasised in the statement.
Meanwhile, Ganduje, yesterday defied his purported suspension by his ward exco and stormed the national secretariat of the ruling party to perform his official function.
The executive council of Ganduje ward had announced his suspension during a press briefing in Kano, on Monday, citing corruption and other vices as reason for their action.
The State Working Committee (SWC) also dismissed the action of the ward executives as illegal, null and void.
Apparently to confirm that his position was still secured, Ganduje had stormed the national secretariat in the early yesterday to prove the ineffectiveness of the purported suspension.
On arrival, he was received by the Kano State officials of the party that arrived the secretariat, the Buhari House, on an 18-seater bus, hours before him apparently on a mission to pledge their loyalty to him.
Apparently to checkmate any attempt to further penetrate and divide the ranks of the state officials, they were kept in the party’s headquarters from the early morning they arrived till late in the evening.
Interestingly, the former Kano State governor, carried out his official duties with security tightened around, especially when he went for his routine ablution, where men of the Department of State Services (DSS) were seen wielding guns.