JUST IN: APC suspends El-Rufai’s loyalist for criticising Gov Sani

The Badarawa/Malali Ward executive committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna North LGA of Kaduna State has suspended the State’s APC Woman Leader, Hajiya Maryam Suleiman popularly known as ‘Mai Rusau’, over her viral outbursts against the State’s governor, Senator Uba Sani.

The APC State Woman Leader, a loyalist of the immediate-past Governor Nasir El-Rufai, had in a series of videos posted on social media handles on Saturday, condemned Governor Uba Sani for revealing the State’s debt burden he inherited from the previous administration of El-Rufa’i.

It could be recalled that Governor Sani had raised the alarm that his administration inherited a huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and N115 billion contractual liabilities from the previous administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

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The governor, who stated this in Kaduna on Saturday while addressing a Town Hall Meeting, added that the huge debt burden was eating deep into the State’s monthly Federal Allocation of funds, hence the state was finding it difficult to pay monthly salaries.

Consequently, former Governor El-Rufai’s son, Bashir El-Rufai, reacted and blasted Governor Uba Sani, accusing the governor of always sleeping in Abuja and surrounding himself with a retinue of incompetent aides.

He said that rather than admitting to its incompetence, the Uba Sani administration was using the State’s debt profile as an excuse for poor performance.

However, in a letter of suspension signed by the APC Badarawa/Malali Ward chairman and secretary, Alhaji Ali Maishago and Zakkah Bassahuwa, respectively, addressed to APC woman leader, the party leaders explained that she was suspended from the party over unauthorised publicity of the party’s dispute, thereby discrediting the person of Governor Uba Sani.

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The letter reads: “The Badarawa/Malali Ward APC Executive Committee after due deliberations and careful examinations on the viral video clip released on 30th March 2024 via social networks; Facebook, Whatsapp, and Tiktok which is against the constitution of our dear party APC as stated in article 21.2 (V).

“In view of the above, below are the gross misconducts where the subsequent suspension relied upon. (1) Defamation of character of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State Malam Uba Sani. (2) Unauthorised publicity of the party dispute that discredited the personality of the Executive Governor of Kaduna State.

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“Furthermore, from today Sunday 31st of March, 2024, the leadership of APC Badarawa/Malali Ward unanimously resolved to suspend Hajiya Maryam Suleiman (Mai Rusau) from the Party pending the further investigation on the matter from the constituted authority.

Thank you.”

Meanwhile, Kaduna State APC Secretary, Yahaya Pate, confirmed the suspension of the state’s woman leader to journalists, saying: “Yes, she is suspended from the party by her Badarawa/Malali ward. She is now suspended as state woman leader.”