BREAKING: El-Rufai’s ex-officials dismiss N423bn corruption allegation as ‘political witch hunt’

Former officials of the Kaduna State Government under Nasir El-Rufai have fired back at allegations of corruption, branding them a politically motivated smear campaign by Governor Uba Sani’s administration.

Dismissing the Kaduna State House of Assembly’s report, which claims N423 billion went missing during El-Rufai’s tenure (2015–2023), in a press statement on Wednesday, the ex-officials said the allegations were fabricated and recycled to mislead the public.

“The same baseless claims were made in June and July 2024, and we debunked them with facts. It is disappointing that they are being revived,” the statement read.

They argued that many of the loans cited in the report were either not drawn under their administration or were disbursed after their tenure. They also accused the government of double-counting some loans and even listing a railway loan that was never contracted.

“Only those inclined to fiction can believe that 40% of Kaduna’s earnings over eight years simply vanished,” the former officials declared.

Beyond the corruption claims, the ex-officials accused Governor Sani’s administration of taking credit for projects initiated under El-Rufai while falsely claiming financial mismanagement.

They listed AGILE-funded schools, World Bank CARES infrastructure projects, and RAAMP-funded roads as initiatives started under El-Rufai but now being presented as Sani’s achievements.

The statement also accused the government of launching a crackdown on El-Rufai’s allies, citing the case of Bashir Saidu, who was allegedly abducted in Kaduna on December 31, 2024, and remains in prison despite being granted bail.

It was gathered that Jimi Lawal is said to be unlawfully detained, with the government allegedly using administrative loopholes—such as suspending land verification services—to block their release.

The ex-officials insisted that the corruption allegations were part of a grand plot to tarnish El-Rufai’s political future.

They argued that since the N423 billion claim lacks evidence, the government is resorting to media propaganda to sustain the narrative.

While Governor Uba Sani continues to publicly claim there is no rift between him and El-Rufai, the former officials dismissed this as “dishonest,” pointing to his administration’s actions.

Defending El-Rufai’s legacy, they highlighted Kaduna’s internally generated revenue growth from N13 billion in 2015 to N58 billion in 2022, alongside major infrastructure projects and public service reforms.

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