The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has been suspended from the party over alleged corrupt practices leveled against him by the state government.
Ganduje was suspended by members of his ward, the Ganduje Ward in the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State on Monday, April 15.
The announcement was made by the ward’s legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, who addressed journalists in Kano on Monday.
Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje by the Kano state government as the reason for the suspension.
“We decided to suspend Dr. Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo stated.
He said the suspension subsists until he clears himself from the allegations.
Last week, the Kano government filed an eight-count charge against Abdullahi Ganduje, former governor of the state, for allegedly collecting $200,000 from a contractor.
In a charge sheet filed before the Kano high court, the state government said the offence contravened Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Commission Commission Law 2008.
The defendants in the case are Ganduje, Hafsat Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lesaga General Enterprises
The state government also accused Ganduje of collecting $210,000 kickback from “people and entities seeking or holding the execution of Kano State Government contract and or project for the remodelling of Kantin Kwari textile market as a bribe through one of the contractors (agent)”.
“That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje sometime between the period of September 2020 and March 2021 or thereabout, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, together with one Hafsat Umar (your spouse) and Abubakar Bawuro, a Businessman, Safari Textile Ltd, a limited liability company, wholly owned and maintained by the 3rd Defendant, agreed to do an illegal act to wit: dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N1,376,000,000.00 (One Billion Three Hundred and seventy-six million Naira) through account No. 7085982019 belonging to the 3rd Defendant being monies earmarked and approved for the purchase and supply of face marks and other hospital equipment for the health sector, thereby causing wrongful loss to the people and government of Kano State and thereby jointly committed the offence of Criminal Conspiracy contrary to section 96 and punishable under section 97 of The penal code (as amended) CAP, 105, Vol.2. The Laws of Kano State of Nigeria, 1991,” part of the charge sheet reads
“That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, sometime between the period of September 2020 and January 2022 or thereabout, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, together with one Hafsat Umar (your spouse) and Abubakar Bawuro, a Businessman, Safari Textile Ltd, a limited liability company, while entrusted with the sum of N1,376,000,000.00 (One Billion Three Hundred and seventy-six million Naira) or dominion over the said sum, earmarked for the purchase and supply of face masks and other hospital equipment dishonestly misappropriated and/or converted the said sum to your own use through account No. 7085982019 belonging to the 3rd defendant, thereby jointly committed the offence of Criminal Breach of Trust contrary to section 311 and punishable under section 312 of The penal code (as amended) CAP, 105, Vol.2.
“That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje sometime between the period March of 2021 or thereabout, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, while serving as the Governor and being a public servant in the government of Kano State for your own benefit and that of your immediate family conspire with the 4th defendant (Umar Abdullahi Umar) being your biological son using 6th defendant (Lamash Properties Ltd) a company owned and or operated by members of your family including the 4th defendant and dishonestly allocated 501 (five hundred and one) high-density plots of lands you hold in trust for the benefit all Nigerians at Zawachiki layout No. TP/KNUPD/256B in the name of the 6th defendant company under the pretext of site and services arrangement in the land compulsory acquired by you being the Governor of Kano State from destitute members of the public (peasant farmers) where it was sold and the proceed part of which the sum of #700,000,000.00 (Seven Hundred Million Naira) was deposited in the account of Bureau de change operator vision Steel link Ltd No. Domicile at Access Bank where dollar equivalent was given to the 4th defendant to the detriment of the people and government of Kano State thereby jointly committed the offence of Criminal Conspiracy contrary to section 96 and punishable under section 97 of The penal code (as amended) CAP,105, Vol.2. The Laws of Kano State of Nigeria, 1991.
“That you, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje sometime between the period March of 2021 or thereabout, at Kano in the Kano Judicial Division, while serving as the Governor and being a public servant in the government of Kano State for your own benefit and that of your immediate family conspire with the 4th defendant Umar Abdullahi Umar, being your biological son using 6th defendant Lamash Properties Ltd a company substantially owned and or operated by members of your family including the 4th defendant and dishonestly allocated 501 (five hundred and one) high-density plots of lands you hold in trust for the benefit all Nigerians at Zawachiki layout No. TP/KNUPDA/256B in the name of the 6th defendant company under the pretext of site and services arrangement in the land compulsory acquired by you as a governor of Kano state from destitute members of the public (peasant farmers) which was sold and the proceeds, the sum of #700,000,000.00 (Seven Hundred Million Naira) was deposited in the account of Bureau de change operator vision Steel link Ltd No. 7816362026 Domicile at FCMB where dollar equivalent was given to the 4th defendant thereby causing wrongful gain to yourself and causing wrongful loss to the people and government of Kano State thereby jointly committed the offence Criminal Breach of Trust contrary to section 311 and read together with section 79 and punishable under section 312 of The Penal Code (as amended), CAP. 105, Vol. 2. The Laws of the Kano State of Nigeria, 1991.”