Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has taken legal action against the Kaduna State House of Assembly following allegations that his administration misappropriated N432 billion, leaving the state in significant debt.
El-Rufai filed a fundamental rights suit at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Wednesday, challenging the Assembly’s report.
The lawsuit, represented by his lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Abdulhakeem Mustapha, contests the findings of the Assembly’s ad hoc committee which indicted El-Rufai for alleged corruption.
In his suit, El-Rufai requests that the court declare the Assembly’s report null and void, citing a lack of fair hearing in the proceedings that led to the allegations against him and his administration.
The respondents in the suit include the Kaduna State House of Assembly and the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice.
Assembly committee calls for El-Rufai’s prosecution
Earlier in June, an ad hoc committee established by the state Assembly to investigate the finances, loans, and contracts awarded during El-Rufai’s tenure submitted its findings. Committee Chairman Henry Zacharia claimed that many loans obtained under El-Rufai’s administration were not utilized for their intended purposes and that due process was often ignored in securing these loans.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Yusuf Liman, stated that the alleged misappropriation left the state with substantial liabilities.
Consequently, the committee recommended the investigation and prosecution of El-Rufai and some of his cabinet members by security and anti-corruption agencies for alleged abuse of office, diversion of public funds, and money laundering.
Additionally, the committee advised the immediate suspension of the current Commissioner of Finance, Shizer Badda, who also served in the same role under El-Rufai.
El-Rufai denounces allegations as ‘scandalous’
In response, El-Rufai’s spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, defended the former governor’s administration, labeling the committee’s claims as “scandalous.” Adekeye affirmed the integrity of El-Rufai’s government and rejected the accusations levied by the Kaduna State Assembly.
He said, “Malam Nasir El-Rufai is immensely proud of his record of governance and the legacy he left in Kaduna State. This record of consistently high performance in public and private office cannot be altered by any malicious effort to use the auspices of a state legislature for defamation and undeserved smears.
“Many of the officials who served in the El-Rufai government appeared before the ad-hoc committee because of their confidence in the quality of their service and the rectitude which they served Kaduna State. They were under no illusion that they were participating in a fair process. It was obvious that the ad hoc committee was merely going through the motions of an inquiry just to give some gloss to predetermined conclusions.
“It is sad to see such a shameful departure from any notion of decency and fairness by a state legislature. We dismiss with contempt the claims being peddled in connection with the report.
“Malam El-Rufai wishes to assure discerning Nigerians that he has served Kaduna State with integrity and to the best of his capacity, assisted by a hardworking and patriotic team. He complied with all extant laws in all his activities while he was the governor. This jaundiced probe should be disregarded as the politically motivated hatchet job it is.”
The unfolding legal battle marks a significant development in the ongoing discourse surrounding financial accountability and governance in Kaduna State and Nigeria in general.