The immediate past governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has asked the Court to declare that the interrogation of the ex-State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Chairman and ex-Accountant General, in connection to the video, illegal.
Ganduje was seen pocketing dollars in a video released by a Kano based online media organization, Daily Nigerian in 2018 while in office. The dollars were suspected to be kick-back Ganduje got from contractors handling various projects.
The step to stop prosecution was in the obvious readiness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to arrest him now that immunity has been taken away from him having ended his second tenure of office.
Ganduje wants an order protecting him from EFCC’s investigation of videos, which showed him allegedly receiving stacks of dollars from a contractor.
The Kano House of Assembly, in response to outrage, constituted a committee to investigate the alleged bribery but yet to submit its report.
Ganduje wants the court to declare that the interrogation of the ex-State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Chairman and ex-Accountant General, in connection to the video, illegal.
The former governor’s suit, filed by the Attorney General in his administration, relied on Sections 1 (1) of the 1999 constitution.
It stated that since the state lawmakers already probed the clips pursuant to its powers under section 128 of the 1999 constitution, he can’t be probed on the same matter.
Ganduje wants a declaration that there is a pending case (No: CV/1598/2021 between him) Jaafar Jafaar & Anor, before a FCT High Court in which he is challenging the authenticity of the video.
“The defendant cannot exercise its investigative powers under the sections 6, 7 and 13 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004 (CFCC ACT), until after the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (Coram: Hon. Justice Y. Halilu), has decided the matter before it,” the suit reads.
