Former governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has asked a Kano State High Court to perpetually restrain the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating him over the video clips which showed him allegedly receiving bundles of dollars from a contractor.
Recall that the clips published by Daily Nigerian trended on social media in 2018 and allegedly showed Ganduje receiving bundles of dollar notes and stuffing them inside his flowing dress known as “babanriga.”
While Ganduje debunked the content of the videos, the Kano State House of Assembly subsequently set up a committee to investigate the allegations but the committee is yet to submit its finding report and a new assembly was reportedly inaugurated on Tuesday.
In a suit filed before the high court, the former Attorney General of the State asked the court to restrain the anti-graft commission from probing Ganduje until a suit between the former governor and the publisher of the Daily Nigerian, Jafaar Jafaar, was determined.
The EFCC is the only defendant in the suit.
Ganduje, in the suit with the EFCC as the only respondent, through the former Kano attorney general, asked the court to declare that the invitation and interrogation of the state universal basic education board (SUBEB) chairman and accountant general of the state in connection to the video is illegal.
Ganduje, among other things prayed the court for “A declaration of this Honourable Court that by virtue of the supremacy of the 1999 constitution as established by Sections 1 (1) thereof, since the Kano state house of assembly has begun investigation pursuant to its powers under section 128 of the 1999 constitution in connection with the video clips of bribery allegation against Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
“The defendant cannot exercise its investigative powers under the Sections 6, 7, 13 and 46 of the Economic and Financial Crimes (Establishment) Act 2004 (EFCC ACT), until after the Kano state house of assembly concludes or bring its investigation to an end.
“A declaration of this Honourable Court that by virtue of the supremacy of the 1999 constitution as established by Sections I (1) thereof, and the doctrine of separation of powers since there is a pending Case No: CV/1598/2021, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduic y, Jaafar Jafaar & Anor, before high court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (Coram: Hon. Justice Y. Halilu) in which Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is challenging the authenticity of the said video clips.
“The defendant cannot exercise its investigative powers under the sections 6, 7 and 13 of the Economic and Finance Crimes (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.”
