A High Court in Kano, northern Nigeria, on Monday upheld its earlier order halting the state House of Assembly Investigative Committee from investigating the bribery allegation against Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje.
The court also ordered all other parties involved in the investigation of the bribery allegation to maintain status quo ante, pending the determination of the originating summon.
NAN reports that the originating summon was filed by Mr Mohammed Zubair, the National Coordinator of Lawyers for Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria.
When the case came up for hearing, counsel to the plaintiff, Kalid Abdullatif, said that going by Order 29, Rule 1 and Order 28, Rule 1 and 4 of the Rules of the Court, 2014, the application filed on behalf of the plaintiff on Nov. 5, restraining the defendants, Kano state House of Assembly, Baffa Babba Danagundi and the state Attorney-General from further investigation of the bribery allegation, still subsist.
“The application still remains an Order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the defendants, either by themselves, agents, privies, or officials, or other persons, whosoever, from further inviting anybody, questioning, examining, making any further Press Releases, releasing or playing any further video tapes, investigation or further proceedings, with the, or any bribery allegation against Gov. Ganduje, or anybody, whatsoever, therewith, pending the determination of the substantive suit before this Honourable Court, “he said.
He further argued that the act of the defendants to have constituted a Committee to investigate the bribery allegation against Governor Ganduje remains, “unconstitutional.”
However, counsel to the Kano state House of Assembly (first defendant) and Investigative Committee Chairman, Hon. Baffa Babba Dan Agundi (second defendant), Mohammed Waziri, described his clients as law-abiding citizens who would not breach the law in any way.
“I wish to state that the First and Second defendants are law-makers and law-abiding citizens. The Order came a day to the date slated to listen to witnesses at the Investigative Panel.
“Since then, no step has been taken by the state House of Assembly or the Investigative Committee to breach the law. “This is to tell you that Kano state House of Assembly is law-abiding.
“The Assembly has no intention whatsoever to take any further steps until the subsisting matter is decided upon because constitutional issues are being raised.”
The Third Defendant who is also the state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, aIbrahim Muktar did not object to the prayers of counsel to the plaintiff.
In his ruling, the presiding Judge, Justice Ahmed Badamasi, ordered all the parties involved in the case to maintain the status quo ante, pending the determination of the Originating summon.
Badamasi commended counsel to the defendants for advising his clients wisely and adjourned the case to Nov. 21, for hearing of the originating motion on summon. (NAN)
