‘N423bn graft’: El-Rufai’s ex-appointees accuse Uba Sani of fabricating corruption allegations for political gain

Former cabinet members in the administration of Nasir el-Rufai have accused Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna, of fabricating corruption allegations against his predecessor for political gain.

In a statement, the former appointees rejected the report of the Kaduna house of assembly that accused the administration of el-Rufai, former governor of the state, of N423 billion misappropriation.

They maintained that since the N423 billion missing funds claim is unproven, the state government is only carrying out a media propaganda and pushing criminal charges against former officials to create the illusion of wrongdoing.

They argued that the real motive behind the allegations is to damage el-Rufai’s political prospects.

The former cabinet members accused Sani of taking credit for the projects executed by the el-Rufai-led administration “while falsely claiming financial mismanagement”.

“We will not be silenced. We will continue to defend our legacy and expose this smokescreen of deceit,” the former officials said.

They noted that the allegations are to damage the political prospects of the former minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

They highlighted that several key projects, including schools built under AGILE funding, World Bank CARES infrastructure projects, and RAAMP-funded roads, were initiated under el-Rufai but are now being presented as Sani’s achievements.

The former officials also alleged that the Sani-led administration is also orchestrating a crackdown on el-Rufai’s allies, citing the case of Bashir Saidu and Jimi Lawal, who are facing charges of corruption and are being detained.

They further alleged that the government used administrative measures to block their release, including suspending land verification services to prevent them from securing bail.

A version of the statement was published by el-Rufai via X.

El-Rufai was governor of Kaduna from 2015 to 2023.

Political happenings show that el-Rufai and his successor, Sani, are not in good terms.

On June 5, 2024, the Kaduna assembly recommended the probe of el-Rufai over the allegation of public funds diversion and money laundering.

Two of el-Rufai former cabinet member — Mohammed Bashir Sa’idu and Jimi Lawal — are currently in detention over alleged corruption.