APC petitions NJC, seeks sanctions against Judge who affirmed Ganduje’s suspension

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC), demanding sanctions against Hon. Justice Usman Mallam Na‘abba, who granted an Ex-parte Order suspending the party’s national chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Justice Na’abba of Kano State High Court on Wednesday granted an Ex Parte Order restraining Ganduje, from parading himself as party member and its national chairman.

He also ordered Ganduje to stop presiding over the affairs of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC among others.

But in a petition dated April 17, 2024, signed by all the executive members of the Ganduje ward in Kano, and made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, said the complaint was never served on Ganduje and no invitation was issued to him to attend the purported disciplinary proceedings against him.

The petition reads in part, “The core of this petition revolves around the principle that the judiciary should not intervene in the internal affairs of a political Party without clear evidence that the party’s internal mechanisms, as outlined in its constitution, have been exhausted.

“The unitaeral judicial intervention by Hon. Justice Usman Mallam Ne’abbe, preempts these internal processes and mechanisms, potentially overstepping judicial boundaries.

“In light of the above concerns, we respectfully request the National Judicial Council to conduct a thorough review of the circumstances and justification behind the decision of Hon. Justice Usman Mallam Na’abba to issue such Orders ‘against H.E. Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the APC

“Evaluate the adherence with judicial guidelines and the Nigerian Constitution in the context of non-interference and political Party affairs. Assess potential disciplinary measures if it is found that Hon. Justice Usman Mallam Na‘abba acted beyond his jurisdiction or displayed conduct unbecoming of a judicial officer.

“This petition is submitted in the interest of upholding the integrity of the judiciary and ensuring that political Party rights are not unduly infringed upon by premature judicial intervention.”