Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of unlawfully deducting ₦100 billion monthly from the Federation Account, describing the action as unconstitutional and worthy of impeachment.
El-Rufai made the allegation during an interview on Prime Time, a programme aired on Arise Television, where he claimed the deductions have continued unchecked for more than 15 months.
According to the former governor, the cumulative amount allegedly withdrawn without legislative approval now stands at approximately ₦1.5 trillion.
“Government data. I’m not quoting something out of the air,” El-Rufai said. “So for that ₦100 billion that goes out every month from the Federation Account, without appropriation by the National Assembly, by the way, without appropriation by the state assemblies—because part of the money belongs to the states.
“So each state assembly is supposed to appropriate that part. So the entire deduction and expenditure is unconstitutional. It’s an impeachable offense, but it has been going on for more than 15 months from the last time I checked
He questioned the destination and use of the funds, linking the alleged financial impropriety to the worsening insecurity across the country.
“So where has that ₦1.5 trillion gone? What is it being used for? Why is the security situation just getting worse? Why is the government asking communities to protect themselves?” he asked.
Reflecting on the state of the nation compared to campaign promises made ahead of the 2023 general election, El-Rufai expressed deep disappointment with the current realities.
“Look, if you asked me in 2022 or 2023 when we were campaigning, that things would ever be this bad, I would say that you are mentally ill,” he said.
