A Kano State High Court has moved the bribery and misappropriation case involving Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), his wife, Hafsat Umar, and six others to April 15, 2025.
The court will address pending preliminary objections before the main trial begins.
The Kano State Government has filed an eight-count charge against the defendants, accusing them of bribery, mismanagement, and the diversion of public funds running into billions of naira.
Other individuals and businesses involved in the case include Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
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During the hearing on Thursday, the prosecution, led by Adeola Adedipe (SAN), was ready to continue the case.
The legal representatives of Ganduje, his wife, and Umar also confirmed their preparedness.
However, some defense lawyers asked for more time to complete their filings.
Adekunle Taiye-Falola, who represents the 3rd and 7th defendants, requested an extension to submit a reply to a legal document.
Sunusi Musa (SAN), representing the 5th defendant, also sought extra time through a motion supported by an affidavit and a written address.
Meanwhile, Abubakar Ahmed, the lawyer for the 6th defendant, was prepared to proceed, having already filed a preliminary objection.
Ibrahim Aliyu-Nasarawa, representing the 8th defendant, was not ready and needed more time to submit his legal response.
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After listening to the arguments, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu approved the requests for additional time and scheduled the next hearing for April 15, 2025.
The court will first resolve the preliminary objections before proceeding to the full trial.
The case has drawn public interest, with many closely following the legal developments.
