Bribery Allegations: Ganduje, Wife, Others Trial Stalled

The scheduled arraignment of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, was stalled on Wednesday due to the failure of the Kano State government to serve the required criminal charges.

Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Ganduje, his son Umar Abdullahi Umar, and five other individuals face eight counts of bribery allegations.

However, their absence in the Kano State High Court led to a delay in proceedings.

During the court session presided over by Justice Usman Malam Na’abba, only the lawyer representing the sixth respondent was present.

The absence of Ganduje and the other key respondents was highlighted by the state’s counsel, Bar. Ya’u A. Adamu admitted to the court the difficulty in personally serving the respondents.

In an attempt to resolve the issue, Adamu sought to move an ex parte motion to serve the respondents through substituted means.

This motion, however, was met with resistance from Nureini Jimoh (SAN), the counsel for the sixth respondent, who argued that the prosecution’s approach lacked a basis in law for criminal charges and vowed to challenge any such decision in the Court of Appeal.

In light of these complications, Justice Na’abba decided to adjourn the case to April 29, 2024, to allow for the resolution of the service issue and the continuation of the legal process.

This legal battle comes after the Kano State government filed charges against Ganduje, his family members, and associates, accusing them of corruption and misappropriation of public funds.