Ganduje, wife, and others to face Fraud Charges as Court Dismisses Application

Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu of the Kano High Court has assumed jurisdiction to hear the alleged misappropriation of public funds case filed against the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje.

In what appears to be a pointed response to recent comments by Ganduje, advocating a one-party system in Nigeria, the Kano State Government has shown him the other side of China that would not have favoured corrupt politicians in Nigeria.

In amended 11 counts instituted by Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission against the former Kano governor, his wife, Hafsat; son, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje; and five others, accused the defendants of bribery, misappropriation and diversion of public funds running into billions of naira.
Ganduje, along with seven other defendants, moved an application for a preliminary objection to challenge the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Other defendants are Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.

When the matter came for ruling on pending motions yesterday, Justice Aliyu dismissed Ganduje’s preliminary objection, describing it as incompetent to stall the hearing.

Citing relevant provisions on point of law, Justice Aliyu held that charges filed by the prosecution on May 13, 2024, against the defendants were competent for trial.

The court subsequently posited that powers to investigate criminal matters do not rest in the hands of the police alone, affirmed the right of the state’s anti-corruption agency to equally carry out investigations on criminal issues.

The presiding judge also dismissed similar applications filed by the seven defendants that challenged her jurisdiction to sit on the matter. Subsequently, the court summoned the defendants to appear on the next adjourned date for hearing; however, it added that the trial would proceed even in the absence of Ganduje and seven others. The case was adjourned till July 30 and 31, 2025 for hearing.

Director of Press to the Kano State Government, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, took to his official Facebook page to share a post that indirectly challenges Ganduje’s position.

The post reads, “China also executes corrupt politicians, and it works for them very well…. ~ Author unknown”

While the message did not mention Ganduje directly beyond quoting him, the implication has drawn attention from political observers, who view it as a critique of both the former governor’s proposal and his record in office.

Ganduje, who previously served as governor of Kano, recently made headlines for suggesting that Nigeria should adopt a one-party system, citing China’s model as effective.

However, during his tenure as governor, Ganduje was embroiled in a high-profile corruption scandal after a series of videos published by Daily Nigerian allegedly showed him receiving cash bribes from contractors in United States dollars.

The videos, which went viral in 2018, sparked public outrage and legal battles that lasted for years. The Kano government’s response appears to highlight the selective comparison and raises questions about accountability.