The House of Assembly and the Kaduna State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice have some questions as El-Rufai files lawsuit, demands damages of N1bn
The feud between the Kaduna State House of Assembly and former governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has escalated as the later has filed a lawsuit seeking N1 billion in damages against the former. The lawsuit follows allegations that El-Rufai’s eight-year administration embezzled N432 billion, resulting in significant debt to the state.
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El-Rufai filed a fundamental rights lawsuit at the federal high court in Kaduna, challenging the assembly committee’s report that indicted him for the alleged corruption. The lawsuit, filed by his lawyer, Abdulhakeem Mustapha, was announced in a statement by El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye and posted on his X handle on Wednesday.
According to the statement, El-Rufai claims he was not given a fair hearing regarding the allegations and has asked the court to declare the assembly probe panel’s report null and void. The statement reads:
“His lawyer, AU Mustapha SAN, said that El-Rufai approached the court as a Nigerian citizen entitled to 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 a fair hearing as guaranteed under the Constitution.”
El-Rufai further requested the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from further violating his right to a fair hearing under the guise of investigating loans, financial transactions, contractual liabilities, and other related matters from 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023. He also sought an order mandating the House of Assembly to pay him N1 billion in damages for breaching his fundamental human rights by not providing fair treatment before making significant recommendations against him.
The lawsuit names the Kaduna State House of Assembly and the state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice as respondents.
How It All Started
The conflict began when, during a town hall meeting on March 30, 2024, Governor Uba Sani revealed that the state faced substantial debts amounting to $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities inherited from his predecessor. He stated that these debts prevented the state from paying workers’ salaries but pledged to steer the state towards sustainable development.
This disclosure prompted the Kaduna State House of Assembly to establish an ad-hoc committee to probe El-Rufai’s administration from 2015 to 2023. In June, the ad-hoc committee released a report accusing El-Rufai of siphoning ₦234 billion. The committee’s chairman, Hon. Henry Zacharia, claimed that many loans obtained during El-Rufai’s administration were misused or secured without due process.
In response, El-Rufai’s spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, defended the former governor, calling the report politically motivated. Adekeye stated, “Many officials who served under El-Rufai appeared before the ad-hoc committee because they were confident in their service quality and integrity. They knew they were not participating in a fair process, as the committee seemed to be following a predetermined agenda.”
Adekeye continued, “It is disheartening to witness such a departure from decency and fairness by the state legislature. We dismiss the claims connected to the report with contempt. Malam El-Rufai served Kaduna State with integrity and in compliance with all laws. This biased probe should be viewed as a politically motivated attack.”
Photo credit: @MuyiwaAdekeye on X
