Who’s Behind El-Rufai’s Ordeal In Kaduna State?
It’s very rare for the incumbent governor to decide to fight his predecessor if they are both of the same political party. The incumbent begins to probe, to shed light into the activities of the previous government if they differ based on their political camp.
And unless there are some external hands, it’s uncommon for the duo to fight when a political party unite them. There is no doubt that since the end of the last general elections, former governor Nasir El-Rufai has become a castaway in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
His fate was sealed when the Senate rejected his ministerial nomination saying that there was a security report against the Kaduna State politician. He accepted his fate though grudgingly as he made some comment against the current administration of Bola Tinubu. And he has been considered as a potential northern threat to the second term of Tinubu in 2027.
Understandably, Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf (answering the instructions of his principal, Rabiu Kwakwanso) is at loggerheads with his predecessor Umar Ganduje. He has called for prosecution of Ganduje accusing him of money laundering, bribery and corruption and embezzlement of funds.
Likewise, Uba Sani, the Kaduna State governor is weaponising the Kaduna State House of Assembly to fight Nasir El-Rufai. They said that he increased the (internal and external) debt profile of the northern state by 100 percent.
The government also accused him of “stealing” N423bn. Ask, what’s the worth of Kaduna State itself? The northwestern state cannot pay its workers without the allocation from the federal government. Yet, El-Rufai was said to have stolen almost half a trillion naira. The Kaduna State House of Assembly ordered his prosecution.
A report read on the floor of the assembly indicted the former governor.
“The Governor of Kaduna State between 29th May, 2015 to 29th May, 2023 as the Chief Executive Officer of the state breached his Oath of Office contained in the 7th Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended and failed to exercise due discretion in the administration of the state, thereby indulged in: 1. Plunging the state into unwanted, unjustified and fraudulent domestic and foreign debts over and above the total Loans obtained by Kaduna State from 1965 to 1999 and the majority of which were obtained without due process.
“Reckless awards of contracts without due process and due execution, leading to several abandoned projects despite payments.
“(He) authorised humongous withdrawals of cash both in naira and dollar with no records of utilisation and denied the state of the needed resources for development.
“Complicit activities with commissioners and heads of parastatals to defraud the state by issuing directives to KADPPA to circumvent due process in the payment of contractors vide letter dated 21st June, 2021.
“Diversion of funds and money laundering contrary to all extant Laws and regulations and accordingly should be referred to the law enforcement agencies for in-depth investigation and appropriate action.”
Most of the state houses of assembly are lapdogs of governors: they are always at the beck and call of the head of the executive arm of the government. Therefore, the Kaduna State House of Assembly is being deployed for a purpose.
Uba Sani has nothing to fear about Nasir El-Rufai, who doesn’t appear to be a political godfather. He has repeatedly told Lagos State politicians how to defeat the “godfather”. Then, it’s not likely he wants to unseat Sani and plant another person.
Someone up there must therefore be concerned about the former governor, who had also served as the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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