Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the current national chairman of the All Progressives Congress and a former governor of the state, challenged the court’s authority to hear their case of alleged bribery and misappropriation, but the Kano State High Court dismissed his appeal on Tuesday.
As you may remember, Ganduje and his wife Hafsat Umar were charged with 11 counts of bribery, conspiracy, embezzlement, and diversion of public monies totaling billions of Naira by the Kano State Government.
Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited are also charged with the former Kano Governor.
In her decision on Tuesday, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu rejected the defendants’ initial objections, citing pertinent legal authority and characterizing them as incompetent.
Adamu-Aliyu ruled that the defendants were competent to stand trial for the allegations brought against them on May 13, 2024.
The judge decided that, without Ganduje and six other people standing trial, the case should go to trial.
In addition, she summoned Lamash Properties Limited, the sixth defendant, and postponed the hearing until July 30 and July 31, 2025.As you may remember, on November 18, 2024, Mrs. Lydia Oluwakemi Oyewo, the wife of Ganduje and Umar’s attorney, submitted a preliminary objection contesting the court’s jurisdiction and requesting that the accusations against the defendants be dropped.
Counsel to the state, Mr Adeola Adedipe, SAN, filed a reply to the notice of preliminary objection dated October 22, 2024, addressing all the respondents.
Adedipe prayed the court to dismiss the respondents’ applications for lacking merit.
Counsel to the 3rd and 7th defendant, Mr M. N. Duru, SAN, filed a motion on notice on preliminary objection dated October 18, 2024, supported by a 14 paragraph affidavit and a written address.
“We urge the court to grant the application as prayed,” Duru said.
Counsel to the 5th defendant, Mr Muhammad Shehu, also filed a motion on notice on preliminary objection dated October 18, 2024, and urged the court to grant the application with substantial costs against the complainant.
Counsel to the 6th respondent, Mr Abubakar Ahmad, filed a notice of preliminary objection dated September 9, 2024, supported by a nine-paragraph affidavit and a written address.
Also, counsel to the 8th defendant, Faruk Asekome, filed a notice of preliminary objection dated October 18, 2024, supported by a five-paragraph affidavit and a written address, urging the court to grant the application.
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