Nasir El-Rufai Sues Kaduna State Assembly Over Alleged ₦432b fraud
Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State Governor has taken legal action against the State’s House of Assembly following allegations that his administration misappropriated ₦432 billion during his eight-year tenure.
El-Rufai, represented by Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN), filed a fundamental rights suit at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Wednesday. The lawsuit challenges the findings of the Kaduna Assembly’s ad hoc committee, which accused El-Rufai of corruption without granting him a fair hearing.
The committee’s report, submitted earlier in June by Chairman Henry Zacharia, alleged that loans acquired under El-Rufai’s administration were misused or obtained without due process. Speaker Yusuf Liman further claimed that ₦423 billion was diverted under El-Rufai’s watch, leaving the state burdened with significant debts.
Go deeper: Kaduna Assembly Calls For El-Rufai’s Prosecution Over Alleged Corruption, Abuse Of Office
Nasir El-Rufai’s response to the allegations
In response to these allegations, El-Rufai’s spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, defended the integrity of the former governor’s administration, labelling the accusations as baseless and politically motivated. Adekeye asserted that El-Rufai and his team cooperated fully with the committee, believing in the fairness of the process despite what they perceived as a predetermined outcome.
The lawsuit names the State House of Assembly and the state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice as respondents. El-Rufai seeks a declaration from the court that the committee’s report is null and void due to the lack of a fair hearing and requests an injunction against further actions based on its findings.
The case underscores a contentious chapter in the state’s political landscape, pitting allegations of financial mismanagement against El-Rufai’s staunch defence of his governance record.
