A Kano State High Court has dismissed an application filed by the former governor of Kano State and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, challenging the court's jurisdiction to hear bribery and misappropriation charges brought against him.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday by Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, rejected preliminary objections from Ganduje and seven co-defendants, describing them as "incompetent" while citing relevant legal authorities.
The Kano State Government had filed an 11-count charge against Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, and others, accusing them of bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds allegedly amounting to billions of naira.
Other defendants in the case include Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
Justice Aliyu affirmed the validity of the charges filed on May 13, 2024, stating they are "competent to be tried." She further clarified that investigative powers are not exclusive to the police.
"The power to investigate does not only lie with the police," the judge stated, adding that the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission also has authority to investigate criminal matters.
In addressing one of the applications aimed at stalling the trial, Justice Aliyu ruled: "The case should proceed to trial even in the absence of Ganduje and six others."
The court also summoned the sixth defendant, Lamash Properties Limited, and adjourned the matter to July 30 and 31, 2025, for hearing.
Earlier, counsel to the state, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, had responded to the defendants' preliminary objections in a filing dated October 22, 2024, urging the court to dismiss them for "lacking merit."
Representing Ganduje, his wife, and son, counsel Lydia Oluwakemi Oyewo had submitted a preliminary objection dated November 18, 2024, challenging the court's jurisdiction and seeking to have the charges quashed.
The legal battle continues as the APC National Chairman faces serious allegations related to his tenure as Kano State governor, with the court now clearing the way for the full trial to proceed.
