Wednesday, June 26, 2024 - Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai has filed a lawsuit against the Kaduna State House of Assembly over claims that his administration embezzled N432 billion and left the state with significant debt obligations.
The former governor filed a fundamental
rights enforcement case against the Kaduna State House of Assembly at the
Federal High Court in Kaduna on Wednesday, June 26.
El-Rufai, who appeared in person to file
the lawsuit, alleged that the committee denied him a fair hearing before making
the levelling the allegation against him. The lawsuit, filed by El-Rufai’s
lawyer, Abdulhakeem Mustapha, contested the Kaduna Assembly Committee’s report,
which accused El-Rufai of corruption.
Disclosing this via X, the spokesperson of
former governor, Muyiwa Adekeye wrote;
“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.”
The state Assembly’s ad hoc committee
had earlier in June submitted its investigative report on the El-Rufai
administration’s financial dealings, loans, and contracts to the House
The chairman of the ad hoc committee,
Henry Zacharia, said the loans secured during El-Rufai’s tenure were largely
misused, and in some instances, proper procedures were not followed in
obtaining them. The Assembly Speaker, Yusuf Liman, alleged that El-Rufai’s
administration misappropriated N423 billion, resulting in significant financial
burdens for the state.
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