The former Minister of Transport and erstwhile former Director-General of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial campaign organization in the 2023 general elections, Yusuf Suleiman (Dan Amir), has described the move by the state-constituted judicial commission of inquiry to smear his image and the administration of the former Governor of the state, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
The former minister made the remarks while speaking to newsmen at the commission’s Secretariat, adding that members of the commission should not allow themselves to be used as a tool for political vendetta.
The Commission which was constituted by Governor Ahmed Aliyu APC led the administration to probe Tambuwal’s administration and issued a stern warning to the former Minister, and former state Deputy Governor, Maniru Muhammad Dan’iya to appear before it on 22 May 2024.
The Commission chairman, Justice Mu’azu Pindiga, granted leave, to serve court papers on Suleiman and Dan Iya, the panel’s summons through available means including pasting on the perimeter fences of their respective residences.
When the former minister and Dan Iya appeared at the commission’s Secretariat on Wednesday, May 22nd, none of the panel members of the Commission was present.
The absence without notice of the panel members including the chairman is tantamount to an infringement of their fundamental human rights as law-abiding citizens.
Suleiman while speaking to newsmen, at the venue of the seating said “It is unfortunate that we are here and they are not. I just spoke with the Secretary of the commission only to tell me that the chairman was out of the state and yet to return.”
Former and immediate past Deputy Governor, Manir Dan Iya, described it as unfortunate, character assassination and an attempt to smear their hard-earned reputations, the way and manner in which summons to appear before the commission were pasted on gates of their residences.
“I was in Abuja when someone from my house called to inform me that a team of heavily armed security personnel came to paste the court sermon on my house wall and gate; that we are being summoned to appear here today at 11 am. Now, here we are but have refused to be here.
“This is very sad. They should know that we don’t live here. Because of the respect I have for the judicial commission, though there was no flight to Sokoto yesterday, I took a flight to Birnin Kebbi from where I drove for almost two hours to Sokoto.
“I came here to honour the Commission’s invitation that was pasted on the wall of my house, but sadly, we are here and they are not here.
“The members of the Commission should not allow themselves to be used for political vendetta. They should have pasted same on walls or gates of our houses, that they have adjourned the sitting to another day.”
