The Kano State High Court has postponed the hearing of preliminary objections in the significant bribery and misappropriation case involving Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and seven co-defendants to February 13, 2025.
This legal action, initiated by the Kano State Government, encompasses eight charges related to bribery, misappropriation, and the alleged diversion of public funds totaling billions of naira. Among the defendants are Ganduje’s wife, Hafsat Umar, along with Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, and several companies, including Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
During the hearing, the legal teams for the defendants submitted numerous motions and applications, prompting the court to decide to consolidate these matters and adjourn for a comprehensive hearing.
M.N. Duru, SAN, who represented Ganduje and two other defendants, requested that the court dismiss an earlier application dated October 21 that sought facilities and a witness statement. “We ask the court to strike out the application. My Lord, we plan to present our new application dated November 18,” Duru noted, indicating that corrections were necessary for the dates cited in their affidavit and requesting additional time.
In response, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, representing the applicants, contended that Ganduje’s request for withdrawal should be dismissed instead of being struck out. “We have submitted our counter affidavit dated November 15, 2024, along with two more counter affidavits dated October 18 and October 21. My Lord, we ask the court to reject the withdrawal application since it has not been formally moved,” Adedipe argued.
Other defense attorneys, including those for the corporate entities involved, also requested adjournments to amend and consolidate their filings.
Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu presided over the proceedings, ruling to strike out Ganduje’s application while overruling objections raised by the applicants.
