A Kano State High Court has adjourned the hearing of preliminary objections in the bribery and misappropriation case against the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, to February 13, 2025.
The case, brought by the Kano State government, accuses Ganduje of collecting bribes amounting to $413,000 and misappropriating N1.38 billion during his tenure as governor.
Also listed as defendants are Ganduje’s wife, Hafsat, his son, Umar, and five others, including Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lesage General Enterprises.
During the hearing, counsel for Ganduje and his wife, M.N. Duru (SAN), holding brief for Offiong Offiong (SAN), sought to withdraw an earlier application dated October 21. Duru requested the court to strike out the application and permit them to move a new one filed on November 18.
“We also filed a motion on notice dated October 8, 2024, supported by a 14-paragraph affidavit. My Lord, we are asking for an adjournment to correct some errors in the affidavit,” Duru stated.
Prosecuting counsel Adeola Adedipe (SAN) opposed the withdrawal request and urged the court to dismiss Ganduje’s application. He confirmed the receipt of a new application filed by the defendants on December 10 and emphasized that the application was not yet ready for hearing.
Counsel for other defendants also made similar requests for corrections and adjustments to their filings.
Abubakar Ahmed, representing the sixth defendant, highlighted a preliminary objection filed on September 9, while Faruk Asekome, for the eighth defendant, referenced a preliminary objection filed on November 10.
Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu overruled the objection from Ganduje’s counsel and struck out the application. She set February 13, 2025, as the date for the hearing of all pending preliminary objections in the case.
