ELECTION PETITION BRIBERY SAGA: Kano govt points accusing fingers at Ganduje, cohort
Kano State government has expressed concern over the news of attempt by some senior lawyers to bribe an Election Petition Tribunal (EPT) judge with money.
The government alleged that such an act is not far from what former state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, did four year ago.
The state commissioner of information, Baba Halilu Dantiye, raised the alarm in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Recall that Nigerian Sketch on Tuesday broke the news that the chairperson of Panel 1 of the EPT raised concerns over attempts to induce her and other judges with money. (Read the report here)
The report generated reactions from lawyers and other citizens who felt it signaled bad omen for the Nigerian judiciary.
Dantiye’s statement reads in part that:
“The attention of Kano state government has been drawn to an allegation made by the chairman of Kano National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal Hon. Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge that there was an attempt to bribe a member of the tribunal with money in order to sway Justice in favour of his client as according to her, “money has been flying in the Tribunal.”
“The Kano state government views the incidence with a great concern as there is a strong rumour going round that some strong forces within the APC whose eyes are on Kano Election Petition Tribunals are bent on repeating what they did in 2019. They are all out to use whatever means to sway justice as was done previously.
“It is an open secret that these strong forces who are well-known for their corrupt attitude are working tirelessly to scuttle the hard earned mandate of the people of Kano state.
“No doubt, all eyes are looking at the direction of the former Kano state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, whose accession to the APC national chairmanship was opposed by senior and founding members of the party and indeed majority of Nigerians because of various allegations cases of corruption.”
He certainly feels emboldened by what is generally perceived as his unfortunate and undemocratic selection as APC chairman who is rumoured to be all out to influence the outcome of various Election Petition Tribunals in Kano in particular and other states in general.
“The state government views this as a litmus test for present administration to show Nigerians its commitment to fighting corruption and defending democratic principles by ensuring that this case is thoroughly investigated and the culprits prosecuted. The anti-corruption agencies are equally expected to swing into action especially when this type of allegation was made in open court by a respected Judge.
“However, the government views with delight the action of the Tribunal chairperson Hon. Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge as a positive testimony that there is still hope in the Nigerian judiciary and there are Judges and Justices with high sense of integrity abound in our country.
“The state government also thanks the good people of Kano that voted for the NNPP into power with well over one million votes at a time when it didn’t have federal, state, local government and financial resources.
“The government therefore notes and appreciates the readiness of Kano people to defend their mandate through whatever means possible.”
The Kano branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has also reacted by requesting to be furnished with the names and particulars of the lawyers involved in the financial inducement attempt.
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