#Gandujegate: Police ban students from protest against Kano governor

The police in Kano have banned the Kano chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) from embarking on a rally to call for the resignation of the governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, over an alleged $5 million bribe.

Mr Ganduje appeared in a series of video, receiving money in dollars alleged to be bribe amounting to about $5million.

The money was given by persons believed to be contractors to the state government.

The first set of at least 15 clips in possession of online-based Daily Nigerian was published on Sunday afternoon by the platform.

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.

The governor has debunked the video as “cloned” and threatened a sweeping lawsuit against its publisher.

But PREMIUM TIMES’ graphics experts who examined the video corroborated the position of Daily Nigerian, which earlier said its internal and independent graphics analysts have authenticated the clips.

In an audio announcement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday evening, the Kano police spokesperson, Magaji Majia, said the police rejected the students’ request to conduct rally on October 29 from Zoo Road to Kano government house.

The rally, according to Mr Majia, was to ask Mr Ganduje to step aside to allow for an independent investigation to ascertain the authenticity of the video clips.

“I wish to warn the group leader, Comarade Isa Abubakar, to caution his members to desist from embarking on this rally.

“However, we advise anyone who has a complaint or suggestion on this matter to approach the committee set up by the state House of Assembly in order to expand investigation.

“But whoever caught violating this directives would face the wrath of law,” Mr Majia said.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the Kano State House of Assembly on Monday set up a seven-member committee to probe the videos. The committee was given one month to perform its task. It is not clear if the assembly, made up largely of the governor’s loyalists, would do a thorough job.

In a related development, a civil society organisation, Youth Coalition Movement, has called on the Kano State House of Assembly to immediately suspend Mr Ganduje, pending the outcome of the investigative committee constituted by the house.

A statement signed by group’s chairman, Aminu Sparrow, and sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday evening said the suspension became necessary to allow proper investigation.

He appealed to the state assembly not to hesitate in taking drastic action on anyone found guilty of such act no matter the position he occupies so as to serve as deterrent to others.

Mr Sparrow advised the assembly to reduce the timeframe given to the committee to two weeks for speedy investigation.