Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai has filed a lawsuit against the Kaduna State House of Assembly over claims that his administration misappropriated N432 billion leaving the state with a significant debt burden.
The former governor, who filed the suit on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Kaduna is seeking to have his fundamental rights enforced.
El-Rufai, who personally appeared to file the lawsuit, alleged that he was denied a fair hearing by the committee that investigated him.
The former governor’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye revealed this on Wednesday in a statement posted on his X handle.
El-rufai’s lawyer, Abdulhakeem Mustapha who filed the suit, challenged the findings of the Kaduna Assembly Committee which labeled him as corrupt.
“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.”, Adekeye said in the statement.
“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.”, he further stated.
The state Assembly’s ad hoc committee which investigated El-Rufai, submitted its report earlier in June and found the former governor wanting on his administration’s financial dealings, loans, and contracts to the House.
The Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Henry Zacharia, said the loans secured when El-Rufai was governor were largely misappropriated, and in some instances, proper procedures were not followed in obtaining them.
The Assembly Speaker, Yusuf Liman, alleged that El-Rufai’s administration squandered N423 billion, resulting in significant financial burdens for the state.
Source: The Punch
