Court Sets April 15 To Hear Ganduje’s Objections In $210,000 Bribery Case

Ganduje, who currently serves as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is facing eight counts of bribery, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds alongside his wife, Hafsat Ganduje; his son, Umar Abdullahi Umar; and five others.

The other defendants include Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, and three companies: Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.

At Thursday’s proceedings, trial judge Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu adjourned the case to allow for the hearing of the defendants’ preliminary objections. The adjournment followed requests from defence lawyers, some of whom sought more time to regularise their processes.

The prosecution team, led by Adeola Adedipe, informed the court of its readiness to proceed with the hearing of the preliminary objections. Similarly, Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo, counsel for Ganduje, confirmed her readiness to argue her client’s application.

However, Adekunle Taiye-Falola, representing the 3rd and 7th defendants, stated that he was not prepared to move his preliminary objection, citing the need to regularise his client’s processes filed out of time. Sunusi Musa, counsel for the 5th defendant, also requested an extension of time, noting that he had filed a motion to that effect on January 7, 2025.

Abubakar Ahmed, lawyer for the 6th defendant, informed the court that he had filed a notice of preliminary objection as far back as September 9, 2024, and was ready to proceed. In contrast, Ibrahim Aliyu-Nasarawa, representing the 8th defendant, said he was not ready to move his application and intended to file a reply on points of law.

Justice Adamu-Aliyu granted all applications for extension of time and adjourned the matter to April 15, 2025, for the hearing of all pending preliminary objections.

The Kano State Government has accused Ganduje of receiving a $210,000 bribe from individuals and entities involved in the execution of state government contracts. Specifically, the charges allege that the bribe was collected through a contractor acting as an intermediary during the remodelling of the Kantin Kwari Textile Market.

The case has drawn significant public attention, given Ganduje’s prominent role in Nigerian politics as the APC National Chairman and his previous tenure as Kano State Governor.

The hearing on April 15 will determine whether the preliminary objections filed by the defendants will be upheld or dismissed, potentially shaping the trajectory of the trial.