At least seven of the senators
who were inaugurated on Tuesday are standing trial for corruption. Five of them
are former governors. Although members of the national assembly had once pushed
for immunity against prosecution of lawmakers, the legislative houses power and
privileges act only shield them from litigation in respect of word spoken or
written at plenary.
In 2018, Joshua Dariye, a former
governor of Plateau state who at the time was a serving senator, was sentenced
to jail over diversion of funds, and even Bukola Saraki, then the senate
president was put in the dock over alleged false assets declaration.
Here, we take a look at these
former governors, now senators whose days at the court could make them miss
plenary.
DANJUMA GOJE
The former governor of Gombe
state, who aspired to lead the current senate, is being prosecuted by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N25 billion money
laundering.
He pulled out of the race of the senate presidency few days to the
national assembly elections and the case was subsequently handed over to the
office of the attorney-general of the federation.
Goje was reelected senator
representing Gombe central under the platform of the All Progressives Congress
(APC).
ORJI UZOR KALU
The former governor of Abia has
been standing trial for at least 12 years. The EFCC filed a N7.65 billion fraud
charge against him. In April, a court of appeal had upheld the dismissal of the
no-case submission filed by the senator now representing Abia north.
In 2016, Kalu who served his two
terms as governor under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defected to the
ruling APC.
IBRAHIM SHEKARAU
Shekarau was arraigned by the
EFCC on six counts bordering on conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of
N950 million. A former governor of Kano, he contested the presidential election
in 2011.
He was elected under the platform of the APC to represent Kano central
in 2019. Shekarau was governor of Kano between 2003 and 2011.
ABDULLAHI ADAMU
In 2010, the former governor of
Nasarawa state was arrested by the EFCC over alleged fraudulent award of
contracts and stealing of public funds estimated at N15 billion.
He has been
standing trial since then. Adamu, however, had argued that the court had struck
out his case in 2016.
Elected under the platform of the
APC, Adamu is senator representing Nasarawa west. He governed Nasarawa between
1999 and 2007
GABREL SUSWAM
The former governor of Benue
state is standing trial over alleged N3.1billion fraud. In 2018, a federal high
court admitted evidence against him.
He was elected senator representing Benue
north-east under the platform of the PDP.
The way cases take time in court in nigeria is appalling... we now have thieves as leaders deciding for us
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