TheNewsGuru

Tag: AGF

  • BREAKING: Suspended Accountant-General released from custody

    BREAKING: Suspended Accountant-General released from custody

    Suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris ha been released from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Mr Idris was released from EFCC custody after meeting his bail conditions, according to the Head of Media and Public Affairs of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren.

    Speaking with newsmen on Thursday in Abuja, Uwujaren said, “I actually do not have idea of what the bail conditions are but all I can tell you is that he has been released after meeting his bail conditions”.

    Recall that the former AGF was arrested on May 16, by the EFCC over alleged diversion and laundering of N80 billion.

    The EFCC said verified intelligence reports showed that Idris raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.

    The commission said the funds were laundered through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja.

    It said Idris was arrested after he failed to honour invitations by the commission to respond to issues connected to the alleged fraudulent acts.

  • N80bn fraud: FG appoints Anamekwe to oversee office of Accountant General of the Federation

    N80bn fraud: FG appoints Anamekwe to oversee office of Accountant General of the Federation

    Pending the outcome of ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) for financial impropriety, the federal government has approved the appointment of Mr Anamekwe Chukwunyere Nwabuoku to oversee the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).

    This was contained in statement issued by Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi, Special Adviser (Media and Communications) to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning on Sunday in Abuja.

    According to the statement, the appointment of the new AOGF came via a letter dated 20th May, 2022 and signed by Aliyu Ahmed, Permanent Secretary (Finance), Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the appointment is pending the outcome of the investigation.

    The statement reads: “in this position, Mr.Anamekwe is expected to carry out his duty in strict compliance with extant rules and observe the highest sense of professionalism expected of an officer working at his level.

    “Mr Anamekwe was born on 15th October, 1962 to the family of Mr Robert O. Anamekwe in Shims Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State.

    “He holds Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy from the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu, and Master of Science (M.Sc) in Financial Management from Common Wealth University, Belize.

    “He started his civil service career with the Centre for Democratic Studies (CDS) and rose to the position of Principal Accountant between 1992 and 1995. He was deployed to the Office of the AGF, Abuja from 1996 to 2001 as Assistant Chief Accountant.

    “He served at the National Assembly, Office of the Senate President from 2001 to 2003 as Special Assistant to the Senate President on Public Affairs and his duties included Advisory Services to the Senate President on Media and other issues. He assumed duty as Chief Accountant in the Ministry of Defence Headquarters, Abuja and served as Head of Accounts Administration.

    “Following his promotion to Assistant Director Accounts, he was placed in charge of Funds in the Ministry from 2009 to 2012. He became a Deputy Director (Accounts) in 2012 and was deployed to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) as Supervisory Officer of Ecological Funds Accounts and other related matters.

    “He was promoted to Director (Accounts) in 2017 and was posted to Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. He was the Director ( Finance and Accounts) Ministry of Defence, Headquarters, Abuja from May 2019 to March, 2021.

    “Currently, he is Director, Inspectorate Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, and presently he is overseeing the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

    “Mr Anamekwe, who has attended several management courses both locally and internationally, is Fellow, Institute of Chattered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Fellow, Charttered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), and member of Nigeria Institute of Management ( NIM).”

    Recall that the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris was arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes commission (EFCC) over alleged N80 billion fraud.

  • My encounter with Ahmed Idris, Buhari’s AGF – By Sam Amadi

    My encounter with Ahmed Idris, Buhari’s AGF – By Sam Amadi

    By Sam Amadi

    There is nothing better than due process and the rule of law for the stability of society. They are better than charism and even spartan lifestyle. Buhari’s administration is now officially the most corrupt in the history of modern Nigeria. This is the administration of a man who built all his reputation on anti corruption. What happened? You will get the answer if you consider the story of the current Accountant General of the Federal, Mr. Ahmed Idris.

    At the early months of the Buhari administration, I was still the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). Ahmed Idris was newly appointed the Accountant General of the Federation. One day I got a summon for an urgent and important meeting of some Chief Executives with the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo. I made inquiry about the meeting and understood that it was about mortgage funds placed with Aso Saving LTD. The owner of the company then, Chief Tunde Ayeni, was a well known supporter and friend of President Jonathan and the PDP. The hostile takeover of government by APC meant onslaught against anyone who had anything to do with PDP. Those of us who were appointed by PDP government were viewed as thieves. The new administration so much politicized corruption that it spent over a year not fully taking over the federal bureaucracy and not robustly governing because of resentment against PDP appointees.

    I prepared for the meeting and took all necessary documents to prove that every decision I took as NERC chairman was in strictly compliance with the law and in the most transparent and honest manner. NERC had won awards for transparency in procurement and regulation so I wanted to prove these were not flukes. So I got ready for the showdown.

    At the meeting were the Governor of the Central Bank, the Account General of the Federation and other heads of accountability institutions and government agencies. The meeting was chaired by the Vice President who accused the Chief Executives of misconduct by placing public funds in Aso Saving, a distressing company, and thereby imperil those funds. Before the meeting the CBN has issued some kind of instruction for funds not to be placed in the bank and firm implementation of the Single Treasury Account policy. The fact is that partly because of the aggression of the new government against Mr. Ayeni there was some kind of run against the mortgage company.

    As part of the indictment, the Accountant General was vehement that it is contrary to law for anyone to open any account in a mortgage bank and anyone who did so must be prosecuted for opening an account without the approval of the AGF. He vowed that his agency does not give approval to open accounts in such entities. The Governor of the Central Bank added to the indictment by arguing that mortgage fund ought to go to the commercial banks and that the CBN does not recommend such mortgage institutions like Aso Savings because they are not stable. Everyone of these officials pandered to the bloodletting of the Buhari administration.

    I had to respond. First I showed with documents that the decision to engage Aso Saving as a mortgage firm had nothing to do with politics or corruption. We advertised and four mortgage companies applied and were shortlisted. To keep to the highest standard of workplace democracy and comply with procurement laws, I asked all staff to vote for the best firm. Aso Savings won. I later wrote to the Governor of CBN to determine the liquidity and prudential qualities of Aso Saving. The CBN wrote back to say Aso Savings have 40% of the market and is number one in the industry. We later wrote to the Accountant General of the Federation for approval to open an account, and it gave the approval. I reprimanded the Governor of CBN and the AGF for encouraging the bloodletting and not being courageous to say that these decisions were right decisions. I challenged the Governor of CBN on the argument that mortgage insistiions should not hold mortgage funds of public agency. I showed him that it is mortgage institutions and not commercial banks that understand the mortgage market better and that all over the world they are used for mortgage transactions. Why should we vilify appointees of previous government who showed sound judgement. At that point the Vice President calmed me down and said I should not brother much since NERC followed all the necessary due process and obtained all necessary approvals.

    After the meeting, no other action was taken on the matter. Or at least, no one invited NERC again. But, what surprised me most was that high ranking public officers could play dead-brain because of the politics of corruption. When I showed the AGF the approval by his office, all he could say is that it was not him who did that and he would review whether the letter was original. Of course he knew it was original and the previous AGF issued it properly. But everyone had to key into the mood of pretending to be holy. The point is that these corrupt officials hid themselves in praise-singing and the Buhari cult-following to pretend they were committed to fighting corruption. All that mattered to them was the political bloodletting, not reorganizing government to reduce graft. It is not a surprise to me to learn that the man who was an inquisitor against us that day is arrested and detained for massive corruption. It was evident to me that day that his holiness posturing was just a pretense.

    It is the greatest irony that under a regime that clamped many PDP politicians into jail for corruption, its ultimate underwriter of probity and accountability is being held for massive corruption beyond what the administration has accused officials of the previous government. It betrays deep seated lack of understanding of the pathology and dynamics of corruption in Nigeria that the Buhari administration has not just failed in its anti corruption war, but has complicated and compounded corruption in Nigeria.

    Sitting that day listening to the top officials of this administration goof about, looking for who to entrap in their bloody political war, I knew that a day like this will come when the hunter becomes the hunted.

  • If AGF can steal N80bn, ASUU have no reason to end strike – Reno Omokri

    If AGF can steal N80bn, ASUU have no reason to end strike – Reno Omokri

    “Dear ASUU, If the Accountant General of the Federation can steal ₦80 billion, then you have no reason to end your strike,” said ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s former aide, Reno Omokri.

     

    He stated this in a tweet on Tuesday after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission announced the arrest of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris, for alleged involvement in fraud and money laundering worth N80 billion.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) had reported that Nigeria’s accountant-general was arrested on Monday “after failing to honour invitations” by EFCC to respond to the allegations.

     

    He encouraged the lecturers should insist that the Federal Government pays them with the N80 billion allegedly stolen by the arrested head of Nigeria’s treasury.

     

    Omokri wrote, ”Ask Buhari to use the stolen ₦80 billion to pay you and then keep the change. After all, the money you are asking for is not even up to ₦80 billion!

     

    “Just look at how morally bankrupt Nigeria is. The same Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, married a 16-year-old girl and he was not sacked or arrested by Buhari.”

     

    EFCC had said Idris “raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.”

     

    The proceeds were invested by Idris in real estate in the capital Abuja and in his home state of Kano in northern Nigeria, it said in a statement issued late Monday.

     

    On February 15, ASUU began a four-week rollover strike following the Federal Government’s failure to meet its demands.

     

    The National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said the decision was taken after the union’s National Executive Committee meeting.

     

    Osodeke said since the last meeting the union had with the federal government in December 2021, it had not received any formal invitation from the government.

     

    ASUU extended the action by another two months to afford the government more time to address all of its demands.

     

    The union also accused the government of displaying an indifferent attitude toward its demands.

     

    Osodeke, in a statement to announce the extension of the rollover strike, noted that the national executive council of the union “was disappointed that Government did not treat the matters involved with utmost urgency they deserved during the four-week period as expected of a reasonable, responsive, and well-meaning administration”.

     

    He said the NEC concluded that the government had failed to satisfactorily address all the issues raised in the 2020 Memorandum of Action within the four-week roll-over strike period and resolved that the strike be rolled over for another eight weeks.

     

    Osodeke said the strike continues over the government’s failure to “satisfactorily” implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with the Union in December 2020 on funding for revitalisation of public universities (both Federal and States), renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU Agreement and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution.

     

    Other demands of the union as listed by ASUU include Earned Academic Allowances, State Universities, promotion arrears, withheld salaries, and non-remittance of third-party deductions.

  • BREAKING: EFCC arrests Accountant General of the Federation for N80 billion fraud

    BREAKING: EFCC arrests Accountant General of the Federation for N80 billion fraud

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris for an N80 billion fraud.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Idris was arrested by operatives of the EFCC on Monday.

    The serving AGF was arrested in connection with the diversion of funds and money laundering activities.

    According to a statement by the EFCC, verified intelligence showed that Idris raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.

    “The funds were laundered through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja.

    “Mr Idris was arrested after failing to honour invitations by the EFCC to respond to issues connected to the fraudulent acts,” the EFCC stated.

  • Court to hear Saraki’s suit against EFCC, ICPC others July 27

    Court to hear Saraki’s suit against EFCC, ICPC others July 27

    A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, fixed July 27 for further mention of a suit filed by former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and others.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the matter to enable the parties file and exchange their processes in the suit.

    The development followed non-appearance of counsel for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents in the case.

    Newsmen reports that while Saraki is the applicant, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and State Security Service (SSS) are 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.

    Others are EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) as 4th to 6th respondents respectively.

    Thenewsguru.com reports that the EFCC had, in 2019, said it would probe Saraki’s earnings between 2003 and 2011 when he was governor of Kwara.

    The commission was reported to have seized some of his houses in the Ikoyi area of Lagos then.

    However, Saraki, on May 10, 2019, filed two separate suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/507/19 and FHC/ABJ/CS/508/19 respectively before Justice Taiwo Taiwo to challenge the action of the EFCC.

    Justice Taiwo, who was the presiding judge, ruled on an ex parte application filed along with the substantive suits.

    The judge ordered the anti-corruption agency (4th respondent) and the other five respondents to the suits to stay action on the probe pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the applicant.

    The order was granted after Sunday Onubi, Saraki’s lawyer, moved the application, on May 14, 2019.

    The court had directed the parties to maintain the status quo by suspending the probe.

    But the EFCC later applied that the judge should recuse himself and the matter be transferred to another court.

    Justice Taiwo sent back the case file to the chief judge and the matter was reassigned to Justice Anwuli Chikere for adjudication.

    When the matter came up on July 14, 2021 before Justice Chikere, EFCC Counsel, Chile Okoronkwo, complained that Taiwo’s order had hindered the agency “from performing its duty for about two years now.”

    The lawyer, who stated that Saraki continued to hinge on the order of the court any time he is invited, urged the court to vacate the order.

    But the suits were reassigned to Justice Ekwo following the retirement of Chikere.

    Upon mentioning of the matter on Thursday, Saraki’s counsel, Lukaman Saidu, informed that the matter was slated for further mention.

    No lawyer, however, appeared for AGF, I-G, SSS and EFCC.

    Justice Ekwo then asked him if the hearing notices for the proceeding were served on the respondents.

    Saidu confirmed that all processes had been served on the respondents.

    Lawyer to the ICPC, O. A. Ikupolati told the court that the commission filed a notice of preliminary objection in 2019 with a counter affidavit.

    Also counsel for CCB, Ekenma Okafor, spoke in the same vein.

    She said the agency also filed a notice of preliminary and counter affidavit to Saraki’s applications.

    When Ekwo asked if Saidu had received any process from 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents, the lawyer said only the 4th (EFCC) defendant had responded to their motions.

    The judge then adjourned the matter until July 27 for further mention, dire ting that hear I g notices be issues and served on 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents.

  • It is beyond your legal power to sell or dispose assets – COURT TELLS AGF

    It is beyond your legal power to sell or dispose assets – COURT TELLS AGF

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has nullified all sales and disposals of assets made by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, under the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019.

    The judge, Justice Lewis-Allagoa, held that the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019, is “an invalid statutory instrument.”

     

    It held that the regulations were “ultra vires the office and powers” of the AGF.

     

    The order was made by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa following a suit FHC/L/CS/40/2021 filed by the plaintiff, Incorporated Trustees of HEDA Resource Centre.

     

    Malami had in November 2020 set up an inter-ministerial committee for the disposal of forfeited assets, following a directive by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) in October 2018.

     

    The AGF’s power to set up the committee was challenged by HEDA, through its counsel, Omotayo Olatubosun, who argued that the regulations conflicted with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administrative Act, 2015, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, 2004 and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission Act, 2000, among others, on the matter of disposal of final forfeited assets.

     

    The AGF’s preliminary objection argued by its counsel, Tolu Mokunolu, was dismissed by the Court which granted the nine reliefs sought by the plaintiff.

     

    Justice Lewis-Allagoa held, “I am entirely in agreement with the submission of counsels to the plaintiff that the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019 are contrary to the statutory provisions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC Act, Trafficking in Persons Cohabitation Enforcement and Administration Act, NDLEA Act and Immigration Act.

     

    The plaintiff’s reliefs granted by the judge include a declaration that by the ICPC Act, the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019 “is an invalid statutory instrument the former having conferred no power arrogated by the Defendant to himself in the latter Regulations;

     

    “An Order nullifying the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019 as an invalid statutory instrument same being in excess of the provisions of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission Act, 2000;

     

    “An Order nullifying all sales and disposals of assets made by the Defendant pursuant to the said Asset Tracing, Recovery, and Management Regulations, 2019 same being ultra vires the office and powers of the Defendant.”

  • Court stops CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele from running for President

    Court stops CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele from running for President

    Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has lost his bid to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, from restricting him from running for President.

     

    The tenth indigenous Governor of CBN, on Monday, informed an Abuja court that he can run for President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without resigning from his job as CBN Governor.

     

    This came after widespread outrage and criticism from Nigerians over a sitting CBN Governor’s temerity to run for political office while remaining in office without formally resigning.

     

    The CBN Governor informed the court that because he is a civil servant and not a political appointee, Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act as amended, 2022 does not apply to him.

     

    However, the court ordered INEC and the AGF to appear before it on May 12 to show cause why the CBN Governor should not be awarded status quo antebellum.

     

    Emefiele has asked a federal high court in Abuja to declare him eligible to participate in the 2023 presidential election.

     

    His request is in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022 and filed on May 5.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the suit was filed two days before the CBN governor said he had not made up his mind to run for the office of the president.

     

    Three support groups bought him the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential nomination form worth N100 million.

     

    The aforementioned prayer is part of seven reliefs being sought by the CBN governor in the suit that has the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), as respondents.

     

    “A DECLARATION that the Plaintiff can only be governed by or subject to the provisions of section 137(1) (g) and 318 of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), which require a public officer seeking election into a political office to resign, withdraw or retire from his appointment at least 30 days to the presidential election, rather than by the provisions of section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, 2022 or the guidelines, rules, criteria, measures or conditions made by the plaintiffs political party or any political party,” the court filing read.

     

    “A DECLARATION that the Plaintiff can validly participate in the primary election of a political party and is entitled to vote and be voted for as candidate of any political party of his choice for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for the election to the office of President or any other office under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

     

    “AN ORDER that the Plaintiff cannot be hindered, stopped or precluded from participating, voting or being voted for at the congress or convention of any political party of his choice for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for the election to the office of President or any other office under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

     

    “AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the defendants whether by themselves, their agents, servants or privies or any legal representative from hindering, stopping or precluding the Plaintiff from participating, voting or being voted for at the congress or convention of any political party of his choice for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for the election to the office of the president or any other office under constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria (as amended).”

     

    One of the questions he posed before the court reads: “Whether the provisions of section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act, 2022, which are consistent with the provisions of section 137(1)(G) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which have been declared so by a competent court of jurisdiction can be relied upon by the defendants to disqualify the plaintiff from contesting election to the office of president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or from contesting or participating in the parties’ primaries or convention or congress for the purpose of election to the office of president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria scheduled for 25th February, 2023.”

     

     

  • Electoral Act: Only Appeal Court can upturn judgment on Section 84(12) – Malami

    Electoral Act: Only Appeal Court can upturn judgment on Section 84(12) – Malami

    Justice Minister Abubakar Malami, SAN, says only the Court of Appeal can restore Section 84(12) into the Electoral Act, 2022.

    Malami told Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, in a counter affidavit filed on his behalf by his counsel, Oladipupo Okpeseyi, SAN.

    The counter affidavit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/247/2022, was deposed to by Abimbola Akintola, a legal practitioner.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had sued the President, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Clerk of National Assembly.

    It also sued Senate Leader, House of Representatives Leader and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 8th defendants respectively.

    Others include Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Deputy Senate Leader and Deputy Leader of the House of Representatives as 9th to 12th defendants in the matter.

    The PDP had challenged the legality or otherwise of the National Assembly tinkering with the Electoral Act, after it had been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Amidst debate about the subject matter, a Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia and presided over by Justice Evelyn Anyadike, on March18, ordered the AGF to delete Section 84(12) of the Act.

    Anyadike, in the judgment, held that the section was “unconstitutional, invalid, illegal, null, void and of no effect whatsoever and ought to be struck down as it cannot stand when it is in violation of the clear provisions of the Constitution.”

    Anyadike held that Sections 66(1)(f), 107(1)(f), 137(1)(f), and 182(1)(f) of the 1999 Constitution already stipulated that appointees of government seeking to contest elections were only to resign at least 30 days to the date of the election.

    Reacting,, the AGF said that both the National Assembly and PDP had since appealed the judgment.

    He said “it is only the Court of Appeal that can restore the section into the Electoral Act and not any high court.”

    He said the PDP suit had become academic and constituted abuse of court process on the strength of the pending Court of Appeal matter.

    The AGF, therefore, prayed the court to dismiss the PDP suit.

    He argued that PDP should not be allowed to take over the functions of the National Assembly since it had no power to amend or enact law.

    Malami, who averred that PDP had nothing to suffer if the contentious section is deleted, said that removing the section would deepen the practice of democracy and stop discrimination against public servants and public office holders.

    When the matter came up on Thursday, counsel to the parties in the suit informed that processes had been filed and served on one another.

    Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until May 16 for hearing.

    Section 84(12) reads: “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”

  • 2023: AGF Malami set to contest Kebbi governorship election

    2023: AGF Malami set to contest Kebbi governorship election

    The Minister of Justice and Attorney -General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, SAN says he has accepted calls from the Kebbi people to run for the state governorship.

    Malami will be running on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He made the acceptance in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, at an interactive session with APC stakeholders in the state.

    “Since you want me to contest governorship position of the state, I hereby accept your demand since you want me to do so.

    “People from the state have been pressurising me to contest the governorship position in 2023.

    “Going by my proper upbringing as son of an Islamic teacher, I will not show interest to contest for any position or judge myself qualify for any position except the people of the state want me to.

    “I have contributed a lot to the country and also to the state in areas of employment generation, fight against poverty, agricultural revolution and women empowerment,’’ he said.

    “We pray for Allah’s guidance and assistance and may the answer to your demands be the continuous development of the state,’’ he said.

    Gov. Atiku Bagudu urged party leaders not to relent in pursuing a resolution to bring aggrieved members back into the APC fold.

    Bagudu called on the youths to emulate the humility of Malami as a son of Islamic teacher.

    “May Allah bless Malami, and we thank Almighty Allah for your contributions to the people of the state as an upright person, we will continue to pray for you,” he said.

    Malami’s associates have contributed N130 million to support his gubernatorial ambition.

    The contributions are as follows – women supporters in the state, N30 million; Malami Women Support Initiative, N20 million; and the association of serving councillors of 225 wards in the state, N25 million.

    Other are the association of former members of the State House of Assembly – N5 million and friends and associates of Malami, N50 million.