Ganduje High-Profile Corruption Trial
The much-anticipated trial of former Kano State Governor and current APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje hit an early roadblock today in court. Ganduje, his wife Hafsat, his son Abdullahi Umar, and five others were set to be arraigned on charges including a $413,000 bribery allegation and the diversion of over ₦1.3 billion in state funds.
However, the Kano State prosecution was unable to properly serve the criminal charges to the defendants before today’s hearing. Their counsel informed the court that they had failed to personally serve Ganduje and the other accused.
The prosecution then attempted to get approval to serve the charges through substitute means via an ex-parte motion. But the defense firmly objected, with one of Ganduje’s lawyers, Nureini Jimoh SAN, vowing to contest any such move at the appellate level.
Justice Na’abba, presiding over the case, reluctantly adjourned proceedings until April 29th to allow time for the charges to be properly served.
Outside the courthouse, frustrations were evident among Ganduje’s supporters who had gathered to rally around the former governor. One person complained about the “unnecessary delay” in a case they insisted should clear Ganduje’s name.
For the embattled APC chairman, however, this premature hiccup allows him to temporarily avoid being put in the uncomfortable position of entering a plea while he leads the ruling party just over a year after the bitterly contested 2023 general elections.
The inability to even initiate the official arraignment casts some early doubt on the strength of the prosecution’s case against such a powerful political figure. Ganduje’s high-priced legal team seems ready to scrutinize every technical detail.
Still, the damning allegations of bribery and large-scale fund diversion during his tenure as Kano governor ensure this will remain a closely-watched trial with potential national implications regardless of how smoothly the proceedings progress.
When the case resumes later this month, all eyes will be on whether the prosecution has properly followed procedures to move forward with the high-stakes arraignment of Ganduje and his co-accused. The botched first attempt has only raised the stakes higher.
Reference
Ganduje’s Trial Stalled Over Inability To Serve Criminal Charges published in Channels by Sadiq Ilyas