Ganduje ‘bribery’ videos: Contractor willing to testify before Kano assembly panel

The contractor behind the videos showing Abdullahi Ganduje, Kano
governor, purportedly receiving bribes, says he is ready to testify
before the state assembly panel investigating the matter.

In a letter sent to the chairman of the investigative panel,
through Saeed Muhd Twada, his lawyer, the contractor referred to as
a ‘whistleblower’ said his allegation against Ganduje is strictly
personal and that he would appreciate if the governor also appears
in person at the panel.

Daily Nigerian, an online newspaper, had published multiple
videos showing Ganduje allegedly receiving kickbacks from
contractors but the governor denied the allegations.

The Kano assembly subsequently set up a seven-man committee to
investigate the allegation.

The unidentified contractor, however, said his appearance before
the panel will be based on the fulfillment of some conditions which
were listed in the letter.

One of the conditions is that all the video clips will be
submitted to two experts for forensic analysis and report — one, a
serving officer of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the
other an expatriate, while their bills will be paid for by the
state.

“That a Certified True Copy of the Report(s) prepared by the
experts shall be made available to our client prior to his
appearance,” the letter read.

“That our client has undertaken to surrender to the experts, the
device used in capturing all the events in the video clips
submitted and others yet to be submitted for discreet analysis and
scrutiny.

“That all the proposed questions to be asked by the panel in the
anticipated session shall not be more than TEN (10) and shall be
forwarded to our client in advance.

“That the sitting be restricted to limited persons and that our
client should be allowed to wear mask, bear pseudo name and receive
protection from authorities for himself, family and business
undertakings.”

The contractor also demanded that the panel must also have in
attendance the governor, Jaafar Jaafar, publisher of Daily Nigerian
newspaper, and one Aminu Daurawa.

At a hearing of the panel in October, Jaafar had insisted that
the videos were authentic.

A high court in Kano on Monday ordered the state house of
assembly to stop investigating the allegations against Ganduje
following a legal action undertaken by a pro-democracy group called
Lawyers For Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria. But the panel has
insisted that it will continue with the probe.