Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, has filed a lawsuit against the Kaduna State House of Assembly, alleging that during his eight-year administration, ₦432 billion was embezzled, leaving the state heavily indebted.
El-Rufai launched a lawsuit for fundamental maternal rights against the state House of Assembly on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
The lawsuit was brought by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Abdulhakeem Mustapha, the ex-governor’s attorney, and it contested the Kaduna Assembly Committee’s findings that implicated El-Rufai in charges of corruption.
El-Rufai filed a lawsuit asking the court to declare the Assembly probe’s report void because he was not given a fair chance to address the accusations the committee made against him and his administration.
The Kaduna State House of Assembly, the state attorney general, and the commissioner of justice have joined the lawsuit as respondents.
The state Assembly’s ad hoc committee, tasked with looking into all contracts, loans, and financing awarded during the El-Rufai administration, gave its findings to the House earlier in June.
The majority of the loans acquired under El-Rufai’s government, according to Henry Zacharia, the chairman of the ad hoc committee, were not used for the intended purpose, and in certain instances, the proper procedures were not followed in order to secure the loans.
Yusuf Liman, the Speaker of the Assembly, added that the El-Rufai administration was accused of embezzling ₦423 billion, leaving the state with enormous liabilities.
Therefore, the committee suggested that security and anti-corruption organizations look into and prosecute El-Rufai and a few members of his cabinet for alleged cases of abuse of power, misappropriation of public funds, and money laundering.
Additionally, the committee suggested that Shizer Badda, the Commissioner of Finance and El-Rufai’s administrative deputy, be suspended immediately.
El-Rufai’s spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, responded by reiterating the government’s integrity and denouncing the committee’s allegations as “scandalous.”
Malam Nasir El-Rufai is incredibly proud of his record of leadership and the legacy he left behind in Kaduna State, the speaker declared. Any malevolent attempt to utilize the authority of a state legislature for defamatory and unjustified smear campaigns cannot change this record of continuously high performance in public and private office.
Due to their faith in the caliber of their work and the integrity with which they served Kaduna State, a large number of El-Rufai government officials appeared before the ad hoc committee. They did not believe they were taking part in an impartial procedure. It was clear that the ad hoc committee was only conducting a formal investigation in order to add a little polish to preconceived notions.
It is disheartening to witness a state legislature so blatantly disregard any concept of justice and decency. We treat the assertions being made in relation to the report with disdain.
Malam El-Rufai wants to reassure astute Nigerians that, with the help of a dedicated and patriotic team, he has served Kaduna State honorably and to the best of his abilities. Throughout his tenure as governor, he conducted himself in accordance with all current legislation. This skewed investigation ought to be ignored as the politically driven hatchet job that it is.
