John Adams, Minna
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State, Alhaji Umar Nasko, former governor of the state, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, and the state chairman of the party, Tanko Beji, have been re-arraigned before a high court in Minna by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The trio is facing a seven-count charge of alleged diversion of N2 billion ecological funds belonging to the state, between 2007 and 2015.
They have been facing similar charges before a Federal High Court and a Minna high court before the case was transferred to Justice Mukhailu Abdullahi yesterday.
The PDP had kicked against the “sudden change in the date and trial judge,” saying that it was a plot to circumvent the course of justice.
The PDP governorship candidate, in a statement in Minna, signed by his director of communication in the campaign organisation, Mallam Yahaya Mohammed, described the decision of the court to alter the earlier March 6 and 7 dates as a clear case of judicial rascality, judicial summersault, and abuse of process.
However, when the case came up before Justice Abdullahi yesterday, counsel to former Governor Aliyu, Mr. Ayodele Akinjide (SAN), asked the court to uphold the bail earlier granted his client by previous courts, since he had not contravened the bail conditions.
Mammam Mike Ousman, counsel to Umar Nasko, agreed with the position of Mr. Ayodele.
Justice Mukhailu granted the trio bail on the same conditions given by the former trial judges but said they should deposit their travel documents before the court.
The case has been adjourned to February 21 and 22.
The Nasko campaign organisation, while reacting to the development said the decision to re-arraign the governorship candidate was a clear reaction by the APC government to the massive reception given to him by the people in the ongoing campaign, which has sent a quit notice to the APC.
“Having been unable to make any in-roads and unable to stop Umar Nasko from the contest, which is the main reason for the suit in the first place, the APC-led government has been mounting pressure on the judiciary to frustrate the campaigns of the gubernatorial candidate,” he said.