Mahmud Lawal, the representative for the Zaria constituency in the Kaduna State House of Assembly, shared his views with journalists in Kaduna, calling El-Rufai’s legal action “laughable.”
Naija News reports that El-Rufai recently filed a lawsuit against the State House of Assembly. This followed allegations that his eight-year administration siphoned ₦432 billion, leaving the state with significant debt.
El-Rufai’s lawsuit, filed by his lawyer Abdulhakeem Mustapha, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, disputes the Kaduna Assembly Committee’s report, which accused him of corruption. Lawal responded by criticizing El-Rufai for suddenly relying on the judiciary, noting the irony given his previous stance towards this branch of government.
“It’s interesting to see the former governor suddenly turn to the judiciary after seemingly neglecting and undermining it throughout his tenure,” Lawal remarked.
Lawal also questioned El-Rufai’s grasp of the constitutional principle of separation of powers, which requires non-interference among the executive, legislature, and judiciary. The lawmaker highlighted what he described as unprecedented misuse of public funds during El-Rufai’s administration.
In his constituency of Kofar Doka in Zaria, Lawal detailed instances where large sums were allegedly allocated for road projects that never materialized. “The community witnessed bulldozers demolishing homes under the guise of road construction, which only led to homelessness and no real progress on the infrastructure,” he added.
Lawal emphasized that El-Rufai’s legal actions would not deter the legislature from performing its constitutional duties to investigate and hold accountable those suspected of misappropriation. “Does he (El-Rufai) believe that by resorting to legal action, he can obstruct the legislature from carrying out its constitutional duties?” Lawal asked rhetorically.