Kano Withdraws Suit Seeking to Stop EFCC from Investigating Ganduje over Alleged Dollar Saga

*Do not honor invitation, state APC tells former governor

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano.

The Kano state government has filed a notice of withdrawal of a suit before Federal High Court in Kano, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking to restrain it from further inviting, investigating, or interrogating the immediate past Governor of Kano state Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
In a notice of discontinuance with the case, instituted by Mrs. Amina Yusuf Yargaya, Solicitor General Kano State Ministry for Justice, the application was brought pursuant to Order 50 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2019 ad amended. A letter signed by the Kano Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Haruna Isa Dederi, dated July 4, 2023, and addressed to Sanusi Musa read: “We write to notify you that Kano State Government and the Attorney General of Kano State wish to debrief you of the earlier instructions, given to you to handle the case NO: FHC/ KN/71/2023 Between Attorney General of Kano State and the EFCC.
“You and your team members are therefore instructed note to take any further steps on the matter, either by appearing in court or filing any processes in respect of the case.”
Kano State government under Ganduje, through the Ministry of Justice had issued a fiat instrument to Musa, from Aliyu & Musa Legal Practitioner, a law firm to institute the case, seeking to restrain EFCC to investigate the controversial dollar video. However, the new Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has instructed the Ministry under the present Attorney General to discontinue the case.
Earlier, the Federal High Court in Abuja, restrained the defendant, (the EFCC) from taking any further step in respect of the invitation, interrogation and investigation of Executive Chairman, Director of State Universal Basic Education, (SUBEB) and Accountant General of Kano State in connection with the video clips of bribery allegations against Ganduje.
Meanwhile, the APC in Kano State has asked Ganduje not to honour the invitation extended to him by the state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC).
The party stated this in a statement jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas and Alhaji Zakari Sarina respectively.
According to the statement, the party realised that the reenactment of the politically motivated issue of the video by the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) which was before a court of law, “was part of a sinister ploy to dent the image of the former governor.”
It further explained that similar scenario was played to scuttle the former governor’s chance of securing ticket for the party’s gubernatorial election in 2019.
The statement added that this time, “the detractors are engaged in this campaign of calumny to draw a wedge between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Ganduje, one of the president’s strongest allies in the north.”
The APC stated that while Ganduje’s contributions to the Tinubu political project right from the conduct of the primary election, was widely appreciated, his relationship with the President remains cordial.