Hundreds of protesters on Monday staged a protest at the Kaduna state house of assembly demanding an update on the investigation into the administration of Nasir el-Rufai when he served as the governor of the state.
Led by Yerima Shettima of the Northern Stakeholders
Consultative Initiative (NSCI) and Aliyu Muhammad of the Coalition of Kaduna
Stakeholders Forum (CKSF), the demonstrators submitted a petition to Yusuf
Liman, speaker of the house, urging the assembly to expedite action and provide
an update on the probe.
Addressing journalists during the protest, Shettima
described the demonstration as a peaceful exercise of civic duty aimed at
promoting transparency and accountability.
He expressed concern over the slow pace of the probe and the
lack of regular updates, adding that the issues touch on public trust,
institutional integrity, and the duty to hold ex-officials accountable.
“The issues under review relate to public trust,
institutional integrity and the responsibility of democratic structures to hold
former public office holders accountable for their stewardship,” Shettima said.
He said constitutional immunity for elected officials ends
upon leaving office, noting that allegations involving public funds and
citizens’ welfare must be resolved conclusively.
The coalition’s petition, read by Muhammad, cited
allegations of financial mismanagement, including allegations that N423 billion
in loans and state funds were misappropriated during el-Rufai’s eight-year
administration.
The petition also referenced allegations concerning N1.37
billion earmarked for a light rail project, alongside other claims of
questionable financial transactions.
Among other issues, the petition raised concerns over
alleged human rights violations, including the detention of leaders of the
Adara community, accusations of executive overreach and controversies related
to communal crises recorded during his administration.
The two groups called on the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies to carry out independent
investigations into the allegations against the former governor in line with
due process and the rule of law.
Receiving the petition, the speaker acknowledged the
protesters’ constitutional right to demonstrate and reaffirmed the assembly’s
commitment to oversight.
He recalled that in June 2024, the house constituted an ad
hoc committee to investigate alleged misappropriation of N423 billion, adding
that the report of the findings has been forwarded to relevant authorities for
action.
Liman said el-Rufai had criticised the inquiry but insisted
the assembly would stay focused on its mandate.
“No individual is above the law,” he said.
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