The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, has been suspended by members of his ward in the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State over alleged involvement in corruption.
The Executive Council the ward led by Haruna Gwanjo at a press briefing in Kano on Monday, urged him to clear his name of corruption allegations regarding his long-standing dollar case.
A viral video in 2017 had captured Ganduje allegedly receiving bundles of dollar notes as a bribe from a man said to be a contractor and stuffing them in the pockets of his flowing gown.
However, Ganduje had denied the content of the video when it first surfaced and maintained his innocence but years after, the New Nigeria People’s Party’s administration of Governor Abba Yusuf revisited the case, vowing to prosecute the ex-governor.
The Kano High Court had set April 17, 2024, to arraign Ganduje on charges bothering on allegations of bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds, including the purported acceptance of $413,000 and N1.38bn in bribes.
The Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Dederi, who confirmed the development, said Ganduje would be arraigned alongside his wife and six others.
READ ALSO: Kano High Court to arraign Ganduje and family, April 17
The accused individuals, as listed in the writ of summon, include Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Hafsat Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lesage General Enterprises.
The Kano State Government, which initiated the criminal suit against the eight respondents, declared its readiness to present 15 witnesses to testify before Justice Usman Na’aba of State High Court number four.
“It is very true. We have filed the case and it’s going to hold on the 17th of April, 2024. What I cannot confirm is whether he is served or not, but he will definitely be served,” he said.
Dederi further highlighted the significance of accountability in governance, remarking that “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.”
The commissioner also addressed the jurisdictional aspect of the case, asserting, “He was saying that we can’t prosecute him, forgetting that the offence also falls under the category of the state offences.
“It’s not totally a federal affair and we have even appealed to Justice Liman ruling on that,” he said.
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