The Kano State High Court has deferred the hearing of preliminary objections in the bribery and misappropriation case involving the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, and seven co-defendants to February 13, 2025.
The case, brought by the Kano State Government, accuses Ganduje and others, including his wife Hafsat Umar, of bribery, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds totaling billions of naira.
Other defendants named in the eight-count charge include Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
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During Wednesday’s session, the defense raised multiple motions and applications, leading to the adjournment for a consolidated hearing.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) M.N. Duru, representing Ganduje and two other defendants, sought to withdraw an earlier application filed on October 21, replacing it with a new one submitted on November 18 to correct affidavit discrepancies.
However, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, counsel for the applicants, opposed the withdrawal and requested the court to dismiss it.
“We have filed our counter affidavit dated November 15, 2024, and two additional counter affidavits dated October 18 and October 21.
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My Lord, we urge the court to dismiss the withdrawal application as it has not been moved,” Adedipe argued.
Justice Adamu-Aliyu ruled to strike out the withdrawal application and overruled objections raised by the applicants.
The case has attracted significant public attention due to the high-profile status of the defendants and the magnitude of the allegations.
The adjournment sets the stage for a critical hearing in February 2025, which will address the preliminary objections and determine the next course of action in the case.