Ex-Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai has sued the State House of Assembly over the allegation that his administration embezzled N432 billion.
The former governor, on Wednesday, approached the Federal High Court, Kaduna and filed a fundamental rights enforcement case against the state assembly over the fraud claims following the assembly’s investigation into his administration.
He was governor from 2015 to 2023.
He argued in the lawsuit that he was denied a fair hearing by the committee when it investigated his administration and submitted the probe report to the House which was eventually submitted to the state government.
A statement by the former governor’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, on X on Wednesday indicated that El-Rufai appeared in person to file the suit.
The lawsuit was on his behalf by his lawyer, Abdulhakeem Mustapha.
Adekeye said in the post, “His lawyer, AU Mustapha SAN, said that El-Rufai approached the court as a Nigerian citizen who is entitled to be given a fair hearing before his rights can be determined by a quasi-judicial or investigative body or courts in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
“El-Rufai also asked the court to declare that by the provisions of Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the Report of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Investigation of Loans, Financial Transactions, Contractual Liabilities and Other Related Matters of the Government of Kaduna State from 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023, as ratified by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, is unconstitutional and therefore null and void for violating his right to fair hearing as guaranteed under the Constitution.”
Recall the state Assembly set up an ad hoc committee to probe the El-Rufai-led administration following the state governor’s claims that he inherited an empty treasury that was preventing him from meeting key development and salary obligations.
NewsNGR obtained the full report of the committee, which was submitted to the house in June covering the administration’s financial dealings, loans, and contracts.
The ad hoc committee, which was chaired by Henry Zacharia, deputy speaker, said the loans obtained in that administration were largely misused, and in some instances, proper procedures were not followed in obtaining them.
The Assembly Speaker, Yusuf Liman, who received the report revealed the content of the probe report stating that the administration allegedly misappropriated N423 billion, resulting in significant financial burdens for the state.