On Tuesday, the Kano High Court adjourned until May 27 to hear three applications in the ongoing case seeking the suspension of APC national chair Abdullahi Ganduje.

The applicants Haladu Gwanjo and Laminu Sani-Barguma, through their counsel, Ibrahim Sa’ad, filed a motion ex parte together with a 13-paragraph affidavit in support and a written address dated April 16, sworn to by the second applicant, Mr Barguma.

The applicants, who claimed to be the chairman and secretary of APC in Ganduje Ward in Dawakin Tofa LGA, are seeking the court to determine an order of interim injunction on Ganduje’s suspension.

The respondents in the suit are the APC National Working Committee, the party’s State Executive Committee in Kano, and Mr Ganduje.

When the case came up for hearing, counsel to the applicants, Ibrahim Sa’ad, informed the court that he was served with the counter affidavit by the respondents this morning in court.

“We ask for another date to enable us to respond to the application,” Mr Sa’ad said.

Counsel to the first, second and third respondents, M.M. Duru, told the court that he had filed and served all party’s motions on notice dated April 24,  challenging the court’s jurisdiction to trial and entertain the matter.

Counsel to Mr Ganduje, Lydia Oyewo, informed the court that she was not served with the court processes.

“The applicants did not comply with the order of the court directing them to serve all the respondents with all the processes. We have not been served, so we could not file any processes before the court. We are appearing out of respect to the court.

“This matter is an intra-party matter, and the court has held severally to even to the apex court that the court does not have jurisdiction to hear and determine intra-party matters that have to do with leadership, membership and discipline of members,” Ms Oyewo said.

Responding, counsel to applicants seeking to be joined, Shamsu Jibrin told the court he filed a motion dated April 24, seeking to be joined in the suit as an applicant.

Justice Usman Na’Abba adjourned the matter until May 27 for a hearing in the joinder application and preliminary objection.

On April 17, the court granted an order directing parties to maintain the status quo ante as of April 15 concerning the suspension of Mr Ganduje from the APC by the Ganduje Ward’s executive committee pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice. 

(NAN)