KADUNA: El-Rufai accuses Uba Sani of siphoning LG funds to purchase properties abroad

El-Rufai, who recently defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) from the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the allegations in an interview with Freedom Radio Kaduna. He claimed that Sani converted local government allocations into dollars and used the money to acquire foreign properties.

According to El-Rufai, this was a departure from his own administration, where he allegedly never interfered with LG funds.

He insisted that, during his tenure, allocations were handed over to local governments after deductions for education, healthcare, and other expenses.

He accused the current administration of embezzling local government funds and suggested that federal agencies were overlooking the issue because Sani was allegedly acting on behalf of powerful figures in the presidency to undermine him.

“As I speak, no local government in Kaduna receives more than N50 million per month. Once the allocation arrives, they siphon it, exchange it into dollars, and use it to buy properties in Seychelles, South Africa, London, and other places,” he alleged.

El-Rufai further denied ever receiving bribes from contractors, challenging anyone with evidence to come forward. He also accused Governor Sani of collecting kickbacks before awarding contracts, alleging that the governor took 40% from contractors in Abuja before signing off on deals.

Efforts to get a response from Governor Sani were unsuccessful, as his Chief Press Secretary, Ibraheem Musa, did not answer calls or messages.

However, in an earlier statement, Sani dismissed El-Rufai’s claims as idle talk, insisting that his focus remained on governance rather than political distractions.

Meanwhile, former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, challenged El-Rufai to provide evidence to support his allegations. He argued that the claims were an attempt to divert attention from the ongoing N420 billion corruption probe against El-Rufai.

“El-Rufai’s allegations are a fabrication intended to distract from the corruption probe hanging over him like the sword of Damocles. If he has evidence of Uba Sani purchasing properties abroad, he should present it. Until then, his claims hold no weight,” Shehu Sani said.

Tensions between El-Rufai and Uba Sani have been escalating since the Kaduna State House of Assembly launched a probe into El-Rufai’s tenure over alleged financial mismanagement of N423 billion. Their rivalry deepened when Governor Sani reshuffled his administration, dismissing key El-Rufai loyalists, and intensified further when Jafaru Sani, a former commissioner under El-Rufai, was arrested shortly after defecting to the SDP.

The APC, in response to the accusations, urged El-Rufai to stop sulking and act with dignity, dismissing his claims as politically motivated.