By Abdulgafar Oladimeji
Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has decided to abandon the defamation case he filed against against Daily Nigerian.
The governor has filed a motion before a Kano high court seeking to terminate the case filed against publisher of Daily Nigerian (an online news medium) Jaafar Jaafar in which the medium in a widely circulated video alleged that the governor collected bribe.
Governor Ganduje in 2018 dragged the matter to court over a story published on daily Nigerian website, https://dailynigerian.com titled: EXCLUSIVE: NIGERIAN GOVERNOR CAUGHT ON VIDEO RECEIVING $5M BRIBES,.
The governor had approached the court claiming that the video publication were defamatory against him.
In the origination summons Ganduje said “the act of publishing and circulating libelous statements, false video clips on online media, attacking and impugning the character and integrity of the Plaintiff amounts to defamation of character of the Plaintiff by the Defendants.”
The governor prayed the court to grant a perpetual injunction “restraining the Defendants from further publishing and sharing the said defamatory statement on any media howsoever described.”
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The Point reports that Ganduje has filed an application before Kano State High Court dated the 28th day of Jun, 2021, Ganduje’s lawyers,led by Chief E.O.B Offiong, SAN, applied for an order granting leave to the Plaintiff/Applicant to discontinue his claims in Suit No K/519/2018 against the defendant before this Honourable Court.
“An order discontinuing Plaintiff/Applicant’s claims in Suit No K/519/2018 against the Defendant in this Honourable.
“And for such further or other Order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance of this case.
The governor in his application supported the request with a 4-paragraph affidavit deposed to by C. N. Obile, Esq. who said in paragraph 3 (c) and (d) that “the matter is yet to proceed to trial and the “Plaintiff/Applicant now intends to discontinue this action before this Honourable Court.
“That by the Rules of this Honourable Court, where a defence has been filed and a plaintiff wishes to discontinue his action, leave of court is required to discontinue, hence this Application.”
The matter is adjourned to the 6th of July, 2021, for mention..
