The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has made an urgent appeal to the Independent and Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) to conduct an investigation into allegations that Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State might be utilising state funds to support his legal battle following his recent defeat at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
In an statement, yesterday, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said HURIWA expressed deep concerns regarding reports suggesting that Sule could be tapping into the state’s financial resources to sustain his ongoing legal efforts aimed at challenging the tribunal’s verdict.
According to the group, “While HURIWA acknowledges the governor’s right to appeal the decision, it issued a warning against the potential misuse of state funds to finance the appeal and urged Sule not to further deplete the state’s finances by funding a potentially fruitless appeal. Instead, the organisation called on him to respect the tribunal’s verdict and uphold the principles of democracy.”
HURIWA emphasised that the misuse of public funds for personal political battles was a form of corruption that undermined the principles of good governance and transparency.
“Such actions represent a serious violation of the foundations of democratic governance and ethical conduct, posing a direct threat to Nigeria’s democracy and its essential principles of integrity and accountability,” it said.
Furthermore, HURIWA called for significant electoral reforms to address the issue of litigation arising from elections.
