Applicant in the “Ganduje Bribery Case” Clarifies that the Suit Wasn’t Against Ganduje

Abdullahi Ganduje

It was reported on Monday that a bribery case against Kano State Governor Umar Ganduje was dismissed by the Federal High Court in Kano.

The suit was reportedly filed by Kano-based lawyer Bulama Bukarti, who had “asked the High Court in Kano to mandate the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the governor for allegedly receiving a kickback from a contractor.”

Well, Bulama has clarified that that’s not what the suit was about at all.

Writing on his Twitter, he clarified that the suit was actually seeking to have the court compel the EFCC to release its forensic report on the videos allegedly showing Ganduje receive bribe.

The court did not at all rule on Ganduje’s culpability or whether or not he committed bribery, Bulama wrote.

I’m the Applicant in this suit and this headline is utterly misleading in several fundamental respects. It is terribly disappointing that @MobilePunch of all media houses would do this.

Here’s what the suit was about and what actually happened.

1/ https://t.co/zY4UzgyWD5

— Bulama Bukarti (@bulamabukarti) December 16, 2019

But the court ruled that there’s no evidence that it has done the analysis and got a report.

2. The suit was on the substance of whether Ganduje committed bribery but on whether EFCC had a duty to release a copy of the said forensic analysis.

3/

— Bulama Bukarti (@bulamabukarti) December 16, 2019

I respect the court’s ruling but I profoundly disagree with it because EFCC was property served with the originating processes but they contemptuously refused to appear before the court. In law, they had been given an opportunity to say they don’t…

5/

— Bulama Bukarti (@bulamabukarti) December 16, 2019

That EFCC refused to appear before the Court indicates that it has taken side with Ganduje. That EFCC has refused to make public its forensic suggests that the result is against Ganduje. And that a Court can give this perverse judgement is an indictment on the judiciary.

7/

— Bulama Bukarti (@bulamabukarti) December 16, 2019