El-Rufai Moves to Save Reputation, Name, Sues Kaduna Assembly over Alleged Graft

•Claims breach of fundamental rights

John Shiklam in Kaduna

After weeks of being in the news for alleged corruption while in office, a former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has filed a suit against the State House of Assembly over allegations that his eight years administration embezzled N432 billion.

El-Rufai, who has taken a conscious move to sane his name and reputation already being tossed publicly in the mud, alleged a breach of his fundamental human rights by the state assembly, which indicted him.

His spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, said in a statement posted on his X  handle, that the former governor was personally at the court to sign the affidavit supporting his fundamental rights enforcement against the Kaduna State House of Assembly and the Kaduna State Government.

The former governor also 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, was unconstitutional and therefore null and void for violating his right to fair hearing as guaranteed under the Constitution.

El-Rufai’s lawyer, Abubakar Mustapha, SAN, said his client  approached the court as a Nigerian citizen, entitled to be given a fair hearing before his rights could 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.

Adekeye, however, wrote: “Malam Nasir @elrufai 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.

“His lawyer, AU Mustapha SAN, said El-Rufai approached the court as a Nigerian citizen, who is 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 also 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.”

A report by the Kaduna Assembly ad-hoc committee probing the financial dealings under the eight years of El-Rufai’s government, had  indicted him and some key members of his cabinet for alleged corruption in the awards of contracts and management of both domestic and foreign loans obtained by his government.