The dust raised by the scandalous video appearing to show Former Kano Governor Umar Ganduje pocketing vast wads of American dollars is yet to settle six years after the incident.
The first set of at least 15 clips in possession of online-based Daily Nigerian was published in 2018.
The two minutes video was recorded in 2017 in what Daily Nigerian described as a sting operation aimed at beaming a spotlight on the governor’s alleged penchant for contract racketeering.
Six years down the line, Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was suspended on Monday by members of his ward – the Ganduje Ward – in the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State.
The Executive Council of Ganduje Ward led by Haruna Gwanjo, who announced Ganduje’s suspension during a press briefing, said that the former governor has to clear his name of corruption allegations regarding his long-standing dollar case.
READ ALSO: Breaking: APC Suspends Ganduje Hours Before His Arraignment In Court
However, in a swift counter, the party’s local government officials thwarted the suspension and sacked those behind it.
In this regard, Grassroots Parrot chronicles the events and aftermath of the scandalous Gandollar video discovery as compiled by Wikipedia.
Here are the details:
1. In October 2018, video clips reportedly recorded by spy camera were published by an online medium Daily Nigerian showing the governor receiving wads of dollar notes in what appears to be bribe payments from contractors.
2. In November 2018, Ganduje sued Daily Nigerian publisher Jaafar Jaafar for alleged defamation over the publications of the bribery videos.
3. On June 30, 2021, Ganduje attempted to withdraw the lawsuit with sources saying that he intends to re-file at a later date.
4. On July 6, 2021 counsel to the Daily Nigerian Muhammad Dan’Azumi, filed a counter-claim that Ganduje’s lawsuit was baseless and a waste of the court’s time.
5. The next day, Justice S. B. Namalam granted Ganduje’s motion to withdraw but ordered him to pay ₦400,000 to Jaafar and the Daily Nigerian each.
6. In August 2021, Jaafar said that Ganduje had not paid the ₦800,000 or contacted his lawyers to arrange the payments.
7. On July 15, 2021, Ganduje filed another defamation case against Jaafar and Daily Nigerian. Previously, Jaafar had countersued for ₦300,000.
8. On March 19, 2021, Ganduje reiterated his claim that the videos were doctored to BBC Hausa and said that he had plans to ‘deal with’ the journalists who published the videos.
9. On March 22, 2021, Jaafar Jaafar sent a letter to the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu stating that the interview amounted to a threat and Ganduje should be held responsible if anything happens to him.
10. The next month, Jaafar fled his home in Abuja due to death threats and unidentified men following him (he had stopped permanently living in Kano in 2018.