Protesters in their numbers on Monday staged a protest at the Kaduna State House of Assembly, demanding an update on the investigation into the administration of Nasir El-Rufai when he served as the governor of the state.
Led by Yerima Shettima of the Northern Stakeholders Consultative Initiative (NSCI) and Aliyu Muhammad of the Coalition of Kaduna Stakeholders Forum (CKSF), the demonstrators submitted a petition to Yusuf Liman, speaker of the house, urging the assembly to expedite action and provide an update on the probe.
Addressing journalists during the protest, Shettima described the demonstration as a peaceful exercise of civic duty aimed at promoting transparency and accountability.
He expressed concern over the slow pace of the probe and the lack of regular updates, adding that the issues touch on public trust, institutional integrity, and the duty to hold ex-officials accountable.
“The issues under review relate to public trust, institutional integrity and the responsibility of democratic structures to hold former public office holders accountable for their stewardship,” Shettima said.
He said constitutional immunity for elected officials ends upon leaving office, noting that allegations involving public funds and citizens’ welfare must be resolved conclusively.
The coalition’s petition, read by Muhammad, cited allegations of financial mismanagement, including allegations that N423 billion in loans and state funds were misappropriated during el-Rufai’s eight-year administration.
The petition also referenced allegations concerning N1.37 billion earmarked for a light rail project, alongside other claims of questionable financial transactions.
Among other issues, the petition raised concerns over alleged human rights violations, including the detention of leaders of the Adara community, accusations of executive overreach and controversies related to communal crises recorded during his administration.
The two groups called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies to carry out independent investigations into the allegations against the former governor in line with due process and the rule of law.
Receiving the petition, the speaker acknowledged the protesters’ constitutional right to demonstrate and reaffirmed the assembly’s commitment to oversight.
He recalled that in June 2024, the house constituted an ad hoc committee to investigate alleged misappropriation of N423 billion, adding that the report of the findings has been forwarded to relevant authorities for action.
Liman said el-Rufai had criticised the inquiry but insisted the assembly would stay focused on its mandate.
“No individual is above the law,” he said.
