FORMER Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has described the decision by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to adopt a report from an ad-hoc committee tasked with investigating his governance of the state from May 2015 to May 2023 as a “politically motivated hatchet job”.
In a statement released through his spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, the former governor asserted that his administration was characterized by integrity and competence during his eight-year tenure.
The ad-hoc committee today, appointed by the State Assembly to look into the finances, loans, and contracts under the El-Rufai administration submitted its findings to the House.
Committee chairman Henry Zacharia highlighted concerns that many loans procured during El-Rufai’s tenure were not utilized for their intended purposes and that proper procedures were not followed in obtaining some of these loans.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Yusuf Liman, alleged that a total of N423 billion was embezzled by El-Rufai’s administration, resulting in significant liabilities for the state.
As a result, the committee recommended that El-Rufai and some members of his cabinet be investigated and prosecuted by security and anti-corruption agencies for alleged misconduct including abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds, and money laundering.
The committee also proposed the immediate suspension of the Finance Commissioner, Shizer Badda, who served in the same role under El-Rufai’s administration.
Responding to these allegations, El-Rufai’s spokesperson reaffirmed the integrity of the former governor’s government and dismissed the committee’s claims as “scandalous.”
Adekeye stated: “Malam Nasir El-Rufai is immensely proud of his record of governance and the legacy he left in Kaduna State. This record of consistently high performance in public and private office cannot be altered by any malicious effort to use the auspices of a state legislature for defamation and undeserved smears.
“Many of the officials who served in the El-Rufai government appeared before the ad-hoc committee because of their confidence in the quality of their service and the rectitude which they served Kaduna State. They were under no illusion that they were participating in a fair process. It was obvious that the ad hoc committee was merely going through the motions of an inquiry just to give some gloss to predetermined conclusions.
“It is sad to see such a shameful departure from any notion of decency and fairness by a state legislature. We dismiss with contempt the claims being peddled in connection with the report.
“Malam El-Rufai wishes to assure discerning Nigerians that he has served Kaduna State with integrity and to the best of his capacity, assisted by a hardworking and patriotic team. He complied with all extant laws in all his activities while he was the governor. This jaundiced probe should be disregarded as the politically motivated hatchet job it is.”
The spokesperson further criticized the committee’s proceedings, labeling them as a superficial investigation driven by predetermined biases.
El-Rufai’s team underscored that all activities during his term as governor were conducted in compliance with existing laws.
The former governor urged Nigerians to see through the politically motivated nature of the probe and disregard it as a smear campaign aimed solely at discrediting his legacy.
