By Miracle Ogunde
The case of alleged bribery and misappropriation involving the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, and six others has been fixed for April 15, 2025.
A Kano State High Court fixed the new date for the hearing after listening to the submissions of the counsels on Thursday.
When the case came up for the hearing of pending applications on Thursday, the prosecution counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, told the court that he was ready to proceed.
“My Lord, we have filed a motion on notice, dated February 2 and served on February 5, seeking an extension of time to enable us to regularize our preliminary objection,” Adedipe said.
Counsel for Ganduje, his wife, and Umar, Mrs. Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo, also indicated readiness to proceed with their defense.
However, some defense counsels requested more time to regularize their legal processes. Counsel for the 3rd and 7th defendants, Adekunle Taiye-Falola, said, “My Lord, we filed our application for an extension of time, dated December 12, 2024, to reply to our further and better affidavit on points of law. We need to regularize our processes.”
Similarly, counsel for the 5th defendant, Sunusi Musa, SAN, moved a motion on notice for an extension of time, dated and filed January 7, 2025. “Our motion is supported by a 10-paragraph affidavit and a written address. We urge the court to grant the application,” Musa stated.
While counsel for the 6th respondent, Abubakar Ahmed, informed the court that he had filed a preliminary objection dated September 9 and was ready to proceed, counsel for the 8th defendant, Ibrahim Aliyu-Nasarawa, requested additional time.
“My Lord, I am not ready to move my application. I intend to file and reply on points of law,” Aliyu-Nasarawa told the court.
“The case is hereby adjourned to April 15, 2025, for the hearing of all pending preliminary objections,” Justice Adamu-Aliyu ruled.
The case, which has drawn significant public attention, is expected to proceed with the hearing of objections before moving to the substantive trial.
The presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, granted all the applications for an extension of time and adjourned the matter until April 15, 2025.
The Kano State Government instituted an eight-count charge against the defendants, accusing them of bribery, misappropriation, and the diversion of public funds amounting to billions of naira.
The other defendants 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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