As Some Governors Threaten  Their Predecessors with Probes

With Nigeria’s record where no governor had successfully put his predecessor, who was backed by the federal authorities, on successful trial for corruption charges, the ongoing attempts by the governors of Kano, Rivers and Kaduna states to probe their predecessors may be another political showmanship and an exercise in futility, Ejiofor Alike reports

In what appears like another political showmanship to distract the people who are at the receiving end of bad governance, some governors have resorted to threatening their predecessors with probes when it is on record that no governor has successfully put his predecessor on trial for corruption-related charges without the backing of the federal anti-corruption agencies.

An indication of bad faith in some of the planned probes is the involvement of some of the incumbent governors in the administrations of their predecessors, which makes some of the serving governors complicit in some of the alleged fraudulent dealings linked to their estranged godfathers. 

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State opened the season of probes when on assumption of office, he accused his predecessor and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje of misappropriating public funds and allocating plots of land to some members of his immediate family.

However, Governor Yusuf, elected on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), is a known political opponent of the APC national chairman, whose family is not new to allegations of corruption.

A video clip allegedly showing Ganduje stuffing his pockets with bales of dollars suspected to be kickback from contractors, was released to the public in October 2018 by the Publisher of Daily Nigerian, Mr. Ja’afar Ja’afar.

While Ganduje had denied being the person in the video, Governor Yusuf had urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release the result of its probe into the alleged dollar bribery video.

Governor Yusuf later inaugurated two judicial commissions of inquiry (JCI) to investigate instances of misappropriation of public properties and assets, political violence, and missing persons between 2015 and 2023.

While the panel was yet to commence sittings, the state High Court, at the instance of the state government, had fixed April 17, 2024 for the arraignment of Ganduje, on bribery charges.

Ganduje was scheduled to be arraigned alongside his wife, Hafsat, who is a professor; his son, Umar; and five others before Justice Usman Na’aba, on eight counts, bordering on $413,000 and N1.38 billion bribery.

The anticipated arraignment was however stalled due to the state government’s inability to serve criminal charges on the accused persons, and the presiding judge, Justice Usman Mallam Na’abba, adjourned the matter till April 29, 2024.

However, the much-anticipated arraignment could not continue on April 29 due to inability to serve criminal charges on the seven accused persons.

After a heated argument between the prosecution and defence counsel on the method of service, Justice Na’abba fixed May 16, 2024 to rule on means of service in the case.

But on May 16, the state Chief Judge, Justice Dije Abdu-Aboki, transferred the case to a new judge, Amina Adamu-Aliyu, and no date has been fixed for Ganduje’s arraignment before the new judge.

Indications that Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State would also probe his estranged ally, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, emerged when the governor raised the alarm in March that the huge debt burden he inherited from El-Rufai’s administration was suffocating the state.

Barely two weeks after the governor’s comments on the state’s debt burden, the state House of Assembly set up a 13-member fact-finding committee to probe all finances, loans and contracts awarded under El-Rufai’s administration.

The panel would also investigate the former governor’s top associate and Senior Counsellor on Investment, Jimi Lawal.

There are also indications that Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State may probe his predecessor, Professor Ben Ayade, following repeated claims by the officials of the state government that Ayade left an “empty” treasury.

Last Wednesday, the state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ankpo Edet, told reporters that the state government treasury was “empty” when Governor Otu assumed office on May 29, 2023.

In July 2023, the governor’s media aide, Emmanuel Ogbeche, had also told journalists that the state was “badly rundown” by Ayade.

It is however not certain if Governor Otu will probe his predecessor.

In Rivers State, the political battle between Governor Siminalaye Fubara and his predecessor and Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike took a strange twist on Monday when the governor vowed that he would probe his estranged godfather.

Fubara was a key player in Wike’s administration and was declared wanted in May 2022, alongside three others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over N117 billion fraud linked to Wike’s administration.

Many believe that Wike would have also been declared wanted if immunity had not covered him.

In a recent letter to the Inspector General of Police (IG), foremost Ijaw leader and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark alleged that Wike installed Fubara as successor to confer immunity on him so that he would not be available for questioning as EFCC’s prosecution witness against Wike.

But speaking on Monday during the swearing-in of Mr. Dagogo Israel Iboroma (SAN) as the new Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Fubara asked the new appointee to brace up for Wike’s probe. 

Fubara had also on Tuesday, stated that his administration inherited a huge debt burden on projects embarked upon by Wike’s administration.

Political analysts however believe that Fubara’s threat would amount to probing himself because he was a key member of Wike’s administration. 

Speaking on the huge debts left behind by Wike, the governor had stated: “I did not want to talk because I was part of that system,” but “they kept pushing me.”

With Wike and Ganduje’s backing by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the ongoing efforts to probe them by their predecessors, may end up as an exercise in futility.

Wike had on June 19, 2015 set up a seven-man panel to probe former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, a powerful member of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet but the exercise ended in futility as the state government suddenly withdrew the corruption charges it filed against Amaechi in October 2022.

Ganduje had already secured the order of Justice Simon Amobeda of Federal High Court sitting in Kano, restraining the two commissions of inquiry set up by Gov Yusuf from conducting any further proceedings until after the determination of the suit he instituted.

Without the direct involvement of the EFCC, it will be difficult for Governors Fubara, Sani, Yusuf or Otu to put their predecessors on a successful trial.

However, the dismissal of Amaechi’s application challenging his probe by Wike’s government by the Supreme Court on May 27, 2022, may serve as a flicker of hope to governors who insist on putting their predecessors on trial.