The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) planned to prosecute the upcoming local government elections in Kano State with funds diverted from Local Government Councils.
The Kano State chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, made the allegation in a statement in Kano, on Thursday. The local government elections has been slated for October 26.
Abbas alleged that the administration is perfecting plans to finance candidates it selected to participate in the election through funds meant for the local government councils.
He urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to thwart the plot.
He said it had become important for the anti-crime agencies to closely monitor the state ministry for local government affairs financial transactions.
The ministry for local government wants to use the Directors Personnel Management (DPMs) who are civil servants and accounting officers to allegedly use public funds to finance the election machine.
“The EFCC and ICPC should carry out a forensic audit of the 44 local government councils in Kano state in a bid to determine whether the funds have been tempered with,” the Abbas said.
Abbas also urged the anti-graft agencies to invite the dissolved caretaker chairmen and the DPMs to show record of their recent expenditure.
He said this would help in averting the possibility of tempering with or looting of LG funds for local government election funding by the ruling NNPP.
Abbas hinged his calls on the 2015 presidential election when the former governor, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso allegedly diverted N30. 8 billion from the 44 local governments to finance his campaign.
When contacted, the chairman of Kano State chairman of NNPP, Alhaji Hashimu Dungurawa, dismissed the APC claim as baseless.
He said NNPP’s commitment to justice and transparency, highlighting its election wins without a sitting governor, attributing the feat to the people’s confidence in the party.
He said the chairmanship candidates paid N9 million each as nomination fees while councillorship candidates paid N5 million each as nomination fees.
He assured the party was ‘battle-ready’ for the local government polls with a focus on winning.