The internal crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano took a fresh dimension on Thursday as the purported suspension of a member representing Kano Municipal Federal constituency, Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada divided party loyalists at his Sharada ward.
Sha’aban, a former special assistant to President Muhammad Buhari on broadcast media and chairman, House of Representatives committee on National Security and Intelligence, was suspended by the leadership of Sharada ward on Wednesday.
In a letter of suspension signed by Chairman, APC Sharada Ward, Abdullahi Umar Sharada, the Federal lawmaker was accused of anti-party activities and disloyalty to party leadership thereby restricting him from party affairs for one year.
“The APC has been receiving complaints from different quarters after conducting a series of Meetings held by the APC EXCO deliberated and resolved that he should be suspended from the party,” the party ward said.
In a counter-reaction, 19 executive members of the ward led by the financial secretary, Kabiru Abdul declared the purported suspension of Sha’aban as unconstitutional and amounted to exercise in futility.
The 19 members who kicked against what they described as a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of their member of the National Assembly, passed a vote of confidence on the lawmaker.
In the disclaimer letter jointly signed by the 19 council members on Thursday, the party loyalists alleged that those behind the ‘purported’ suspension of Sha’aban were the same people that disallowed him from revalidating his membership card earlier in the year.
While they insisted that justice and equity were not followed in the action of few members lamented that the suspension was unilaterally declared by the Chairman of the ward without consultation with council members.
The group said it had also formed a new disciplinary committee against the Chairman of the ward to take necessary and appropriate disciplinary and legal action against them.
“Sha’aban is being victimized because of the massive support he has been getting and receiving from the populace of his constituency in Kano Municipal Local Government of Kano State,” the group said.
“At the end, on behalf of the majority members of the Sharada Ward Excos whose affixed their signature below: we have unanimously agreed and suspended the APC party interim chairman of Sharada Ward and replace him with Ibrahim Mu’azu (Birai) for his gross misconduct and denied (sic) the majority of the Excos of their constitutional rights, for them to be part of any decision-making processes, whereas in contrary he unilaterally took the decision without our consent and
involvement.”
Sha’aban’s suspension came few weeks after the party leadership sacked Abdulmalik Danbilki ‘Kwamander”, another close associate of President Buhari for a similar offense.
The embattled lawmaker had accused Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the state party leadership of attempting to frustrate him out of the party just as he threatened to split the ruling APC in Kano.
Sharada, who was declared winner of municipality Federal constituency against the APC anointed candidate Alhaji Mutari Ishaq, has been running a confrontational campaign against Ganduje.
