A Kano High Court has scheduled February 13, 2025, for the hearing of preliminary objections in the ongoing case against Abdullahi Ganduje, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The charges, filed in April, include eight counts of bribery, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds, targeting Ganduje, his wife Hafsat, their son Umar Abdullahi Umar, and five other individuals. These charges are linked to alleged financial misconduct within the Kano State government during Ganduje’s tenure as governor.
At a recent court session, Ganduje’s counsel, M.N. Duru, requested that an earlier application, filed on October 21, be struck out. Duru explained that his client intended to proceed with a new application, dated November 18, in place of the previous one. He emphasized that the earlier application was not yet ripe for hearing and needed adjustments in the affidavit’s date.
However, Adeola Adedipe, the counsel representing the Kano State government, objected to the motion. Adedipe pointed out that new applications had been served by the first, second, and fourth defendants, which were not yet ready for hearing. He also urged the court not to strike out Ganduje’s application for withdrawal, but rather to dismiss it altogether. Adedipe confirmed that the government had filed a counter-affidavit dated November 15, 2024, in response to the motions.
Counsel for the other defendants, including Sunusi Musa and Abubakar Ahmed, also requested adjournments to make corrections in their filings. Faruk Asekome, representing the eighth defendant, filed a preliminary objection supported by a dated affidavit.
Judge Amina Adamu-Aliyu adjourned the case until February 13, 2025, for the hearing of all preliminary objections.
