A court hearing in the criminal case against former Kano governor and ex-APC national chairman Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was stalled on Monday after Ganduje and several co-defendants failed to file the required legal applications, a court official and news reports said.
The Kano State High Court did not proceed with scheduled arguments because lawyers for Ganduje, his wife and other defendants had not submitted outstanding motions and replies the judge had ordered. Counsel to the state prosecutor told the court the missing filings made it impossible to move forward with evidence and arguments set for the day.
Ganduje and seven others face multiple counts filed by the Kano State Government, accusing them of bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation and diversion of public funds totalling billions of naira. The charges relate to alleged irregularities in state projects and transactions while Ganduje was governor.
The stalled hearing follows a string of court actions this month, including fresh suits and criminal charges linked to alleged fraudulent part-ownership of the Dala Inland Dry Port and other state contracts. Legal observers say the growing pile of filings has made court timetables unpredictable and complicated the defence strategy.
Ganduje’s legal team did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Kano State Government said it would seek new hearing dates and urged the court to enforce timelines so the matter could be resolved in public view. Supporters and opponents of Ganduje have traded public statements since the cases began, and the disputes carry political as well as legal weight in the state and nationally.
