The Kano State High Court ruled yesterday that the trial of Abdullahi Ganduje, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), must continue in his absence. Ganduje, along with his wife Hafsat Umar and several others, faces an eight-count charge of bribery, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds, filed by the Kaduna State government.
Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu dismissed the government's request for a bench warrant against Ganduje, but entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of the absent defendants. She affirmed that the trial would proceed even without their presence and scheduled the next hearings for October 23 and 24.
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Adeola Adedipe (SAN) informed the court that service of court processes had been completed, with an affidavit of service filed on June 6. He noted that while most respondents were absent and unrepresented, the sixth respondent was present. Adedipe urged the court to enter not guilty pleas for the absent defendants under Section 278(1)(2) of the Kano State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) 2019.
He also requested a bench warrant for the defendants’ arrest under Section 388 of the Kano State ACJL, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the court's authority. "The essence of the arrest warrant is for the sanctity of the court because an order has been made for the defendants to appear before it and they refused," Adedipe stated.
