A former governor of Kano State currently serving in the Senate on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over an allegation of diversion of local government funds amounting to N3.08billion.
Daily Trust reported that the former Governor would soon be invited over the investigation, which was spurred by a petition, signed by one Barrister Mustapha Danjuma and co. on behalf of Engineer Abubakar Maisha’ani and Alhaji Najumai Garba Kobo.
In the petition dated May 27, 2015, Senator Kwankwaso was said to have received contributions of N70 million from each of the 44 local government councils (totaling N3.08billion) towards his presidential primaries in 2015.
“In the course of our investigations some vouchers were discovered from the local government areas showing that each contributed the sum of N70 million towards the 2015 presidential primaries of Kwankwaso”, Daily Trust said, quoting a source.
However, sources familiar with the details of the investigation told SIGNAL on Wednesday the EFCC case may not be unconnected to Kwankwaso’s perceived presidential aspiration. Kwankwaso commands a huge cult-like following in Northern Nigeria, especially in Kano State through his grassroots oriented Kwankwasiya Red Cap Movement.
Political analysts have severally considered Kwankwaso a potential threat to President Buhari’s 2019 re-election bid. In the run-up to the 2015 presidential polls, Kwankwaso narrowly missed clinching the APC presidential ticket, losing to Buhari and beating former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to third place.
More to come…
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