Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has initiated legal action against the Kaduna State House of Assembly following its allegations that his eight-year tenure resulted in the siphoning of ₦432 billion, thereby saddling the state with significant debt liabilities.
El-Rufai filed a fundamental rights suit at the Federal High Court in Kaduna against the state House of Assembly on Wednesday.
The suit, filed by his lawyer Abdulhakeem Mustapha, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, contests the report issued by the Kaduna Assembly Committee, which accused El-Rufai of corruption.
In the suit, El-Rufai asked the court to declare the report of the Assembly probe as null and void having not been given the opportunity of fair hearing over the allegations levelled against him and his administration by the committee.
Joined in the suit as respondents are the Kaduna State House of Assembly and state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice.
El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, disclosed the development in a statement on Wednesday.
Adekeye said, “Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was at the Federal High Court, Kaduna, today to sign the affidavit supporting his fundamental rights enforcement case against the Kaduna State House of Assembly and the Kaduna State Government.
“El-Rufai approached the court as a Nigerian citizen 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 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.”
Earlier in June, the ad hoc committee established by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to investigate the finances, loans, and contracts awarded during Nasir El-Rufai’s administration submitted its report to the House.
Henry Zacharia, the chairman of the ad hoc committee, reported that many of the loans obtained under El-Rufai’s administration were not used for their intended purposes, and in some instances, due process was not followed in securing these loans. The Speaker of the Assembly, Yusuf Liman, stated that a total of ₦423 billion was allegedly siphoned by El-Rufai’s administration, leaving the state with substantial debt liabilities.
As a result, the committee recommended that El-Rufai and certain members of his cabinet be investigated and prosecuted by security and anti-corruption agencies for alleged abuse of office, diversion of public funds, and money laundering.
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