A Kano State High Court has scheduled April 15, 2025, for the hearing of all pending preliminary objections in the case involving allegations of bribery and misappropriation against the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, and six others.
The Kano State Government has brought an eight-count charge against the defendants, accusing them of bribery, misappropriation, and the diversion of public funds totalling billions of naira.
The other defendants include Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
During the recent hearing for pending applications, prosecution counsel Adeola Adedipe, SAN, informed the court that they were ready to proceed.
“My Lord, we have filed a motion on notice, dated February 2 and served on February 5, seeking an extension of time to enable us to regularize our preliminary objection,” Adedipe stated.
Counsel for Ganduje, his wife, and Umar, Mrs Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo, also indicated that they were prepared to present their defence.
However, some defence counsels requested additional time to regularize their legal processes.
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Counsel for the third and seventh defendants, Adekunle Taiye-Falola, noted, “My Lord, we filed our application for an extension of time, dated December 12, 2024, to respond to our further and better affidavit on points of law. We need to regularize our processes.”
Similarly, counsel for the fifth defendant, Sunusi Musa, SAN, moved a motion on notice for an extension of time, dated and filed on January 7, 2025. “Our motion is supported by a 10-paragraph affidavit and a written address. We urge the court to grant the application,” Musa explained.
While counsel for the sixth defendant, Abubakar Ahmed stated he had filed a preliminary objection dated September 9 and was ready to proceed, counsel for the eighth defendant, Ibrahim Aliyu-Nasarawa, requested more time.
“My Lord, I am not ready to move my application. I intend to file and respond on points of law,” Aliyu-Nasarawa advised the court.
After considering the submissions, the presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, granted all the applications for an extension of time and adjourned the matter until April 15, 2025.
“The case is hereby adjourned to April 15, 2025, for the hearing of all pending preliminary objections,” Justice Adamu-Aliyu ruled.
This case has attracted significant public interest and is anticipated to proceed with the hearing of objections before addressing the substantive trial.
