Social critics and former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) to probe the eight-year administration of ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai, citing serious allegations of financial misappropriation, corruption and abuse of office, raised by the State House of Assembly.
Sani made the call at a press conference in Kaduna on Sunday, urging security and anti-corruption agencies to probe what he described as the mismanagement of public funds running into hundreds of billions of naira between 2015 and 2023.
“The EFCC must swing into action and ensure that every allegation raised by the House of Assembly is thoroughly investigated. No one should be above the law”, Sani said.
The former lawmaker recalled how El-Rufai afflicted hardship on residents of the State; the unprecedented insecurity, and human rights violations under El-Rufai’s leadership, describing the era as one of the most difficult in the state’s history.
“Between 2015 and 2023, our state went through enormous challenges. There were demolitions that displaced people, rising insecurity, and policies that inflicted pain on ordinary citizens,” he continued.
Sani also questioned what he termed El-Rufai’s democratic credentials, alleging that journalists, activists, clerics, and community leaders were arrested or detained during the administration.
He urged security agencies to intensify efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of political activist Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, who has been missing since 2019.
“We cannot talk about justice and accountability without addressing unresolved cases like that of Dadiyata. Security agencies must redouble their efforts,” Sani added.
The senator’s remarks followed recent comments by El-Rufai during an interview on Arise TV, where the former governor criticised the current administration.
Describing the criticism as contradictory, Sani noted that El-Rufai had actively campaigned for President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 elections.
“You cannot market a candidate to Nigerians as the best option and later turn around to attack the same government. That is political inconsistency,” he said.
Sani further claimed that the former governor had lost political relevance before leaving office, citing what he described as the ruling party’s performance in parts of Kaduna during the last general elections.
