Just In: Kaduna APC Faction Invalidates El-Rufai’s Suspension

The All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State, loyal to Governor  Nasir el-Rufai, on Monday overturned the six-month suspension order slammed on him by a faction of the party.

Two factions of the party — the ‘Akida APC’ and the ‘Restoration APC’ — had, after a stakeholders’ meeting on Sunday, announced the suspension of the governor for six months over what they described as “anti-party activities.”

Those who attended that meeting include an aspirant during the party’s governorship primaries in 2015, Isa Ashiru; Chief of Staff to Senate President, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed; owner of Kaduna-based Liberty FM radio, Dr. Tijjani Ramalan; Senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani; and his counterpart from the Northern Senatorial District, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, among others.

Shortly after the stakeholders’ meeting, the party chieftains drove to the parallel office of the party on 11B Road in Kaduna, where the factional Acting Chairman of the party, Danladi Wada, announced the governor’s suspension.

However, on Monday, the Acting Secretary of the party in the state (recognised by the state government), Yahaya Baba-Pate, while addressing journalists at a press conference, said the faction that suspended the governor has no such power.

Baba-Pate said their faction was duly recognised by the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun, and that the suspension of the governor would not hold.

According to the chieftain, it is only a legitimate organ of the party that can suspend any member of the party or the governor.

He consequently declared the governor’s suspension “null and void and of no effect.”