Nasir El-Rufai, former Governor of Kaduna State has sued the State House of Assembly over its claim that N432 billion was siphoned during his eight-year administration.
He filed a fundamental rights suit at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Wednesday, against the Assembly that alleged he left the State with huge debt liabilities.
Through his counsel, Abdulhakeem Mustapha, El-Rufai challenged the report of the Kaduna Assembly Committee which indicted himbfor alleged corruption.
Recall that the ad hoc committee set up by the Assembly to investigate all finances, loans and contracts awarded under El-Rufai submitted its report which indicted the ex-Governor and some of his appointees.
At the time, in a swift reaction by his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, he described it as false and scandalous.
“We are aware of news that the Kaduna State House of Assembly has adopted the report of the ad hoc committee it asked to probe the El-Rufai government. We have not been provided with a copy of the report, to which we would respond robustly whenever we obtain it. We affirm the integrity of the El-Rufai government and dismiss the scandalous claims being aired as the report of the committee,” Adekeye had said.
Meanwhile El-Rufai asked the court to declare the report of the Assembly probe as null and void having not been given the opportunity of fair hearing over the allegations levelled against him and his administration by the committee.
Joined in the suit as respondents are the Kaduna State House of Assembly and state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice.
El-Rufai 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.”
