From Maiharaji Altine
The Zamfara state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the 2025 budget presented by Governor Dauda Lawal on Thursday.
In a statement, the spokesperson of the party Yusuf Idris said, the budget presentation by Governor Lawal has violated all constitutional provisions.
According to Idris, the budget’s presentation event was usually done openly for the entire world to see, lamenting that, Governor Lawal denied the general public and even the Press to witness the occasion.
Idris said, “While planning to spend over N545 billion, Governor Dauda and his stooges decided to hide in the hollowed chamber of the state Assembly to cook up in secrecy how they intend to perfectly perpetrate their hidden agenda”.
“The Governor in collaboration with some security personnel, shielded everyone, especially the media, from covering the presentation and by implication denying the public knowledge or access to the budget”.
He explained that, the Legislature suspended some of their colleagues who were perceived as opposition in order to achieve its hidden agenda.
He said, “The legislature had ahead of the presentation of the budget decided to suspend nine out of the 24 members who were suspected to possibly challenge the document during and after presentation so that the process would go unchallenged”.
He therefore called on Governor Lawal and state House of Assembly to reverse the budget and follow due process.
“The APC in Zamfara therefore is calling on the governor, the state government and the state House of Assembly to immediately reverse the charade done today as well as apologize to the people in their own interest”
“We will seek legal redress by dragging them to court if they refuse to follow normal and legal procedures of budget presentation”.
Idris appealed to the nation’s anti corruption agencies especially the EFCC and ICPC to investigate the total abuse of financial regulations by the governor’s cabal to perpetuated illegallity in the state”. Concluded Idris.
In a sharp reaction, the Special Assistant to Governor Lawal on Media and communications Mustafa Jafaru Kaura said, “The APC is crying foul were there is none”.
He maintained that, the 2025 budget presented by Governor Lawal was done publicly and in accordance with the constitutional provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
