Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai has initiated legal action against the Kaduna State House of Assembly following accusations that his administration embezzled N432 billion, leaving the state with substantial debt.

El-Rufai Sues Kaduna Assembly Over Allegations of N432bn Embezzlement

On Wednesday, El-Rufai filed a fundamental rights enforcement case at the Federal High Court in Kaduna, challenging the Assembly’s claims. He personally appeared to submit the lawsuit, asserting that the committee had denied him a fair hearing.

According to a statement by El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, shared on his X handle, the lawsuit disputes the Assembly Committee’s report that accused El-Rufai of corruption. The lawsuit, filed by El-Rufai’s lawyer, Abdulhakeem Mustapha, contests the validity of the committee’s findings.

Adekeye stated, “His lawyer, AU Mustapha SAN, explained that El-Rufai approached the court as a Nigerian citizen entitled to a fair hearing before any quasi-judicial or investigative body or court, as mandated by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.”

El-Rufai has requested the court to declare the Assembly’s report unconstitutional, arguing that it violates his right to a fair hearing as guaranteed under Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution. The report, titled “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,” was ratified by the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

In June, the Assembly’s ad hoc committee submitted its investigative report on El-Rufai’s administration’s financial activities. The committee, led by Chairman Henry Zacharia, claimed that loans obtained during El-Rufai’s tenure were largely misused and that proper procedures were often not followed.

Assembly Speaker Yusuf Liman further alleged that El-Rufai’s administration misappropriated N423 billion, imposing significant financial burdens on the state.

El-Rufai’s legal challenge seeks to nullify the Assembly’s report and protect his right to fair treatment under the law.

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