A civil society group has criticized a judicial panel set up by the Sokoto State government to probe the finances of the immediate past administration of former Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, calling the exercise politically motivated and lacking credibility.
The Northern Transparency Advocate Group said the Justice Mu’azu Pindiga-led committee, established by Gov. Ahmed Aliyu’s administration, was being used to persecute the opposition and rewrite the record of Tambuwal’s tenure.
Speaking at the close of a two-day seminar on “Corruption and Related Offences Against Economic Growth in Nigeria” in Kaduna, the group’s zonal coordinator, Dr. Murtala Abbas Tafoki, described allegations against the former government as misleading.
“We find it very surprising and disappointing that Justice Pindiga, who himself has unresolved allegations of corruption, is leading a panel to accuse one of the cleanest administrations in Nigeria of financial mismanagement,” Tafoki said. He described the probe as “a politically sponsored witch-hunt.”
Tafoki said Tambuwal’s administration was widely regarded as financially disciplined and transparent, adding that it had received positive assessments from national and international institutions.
He said organizations including the World Bank, United Nations financial monitoring agencies and the Central Bank of Nigeria had rated the former administration highly for fiscal discipline, service delivery and adherence to due process.
By contrast, Tafoki alleged that the current government had weakened financial controls in the state. He claimed that more than 114 billion naira ($75 million) was withdrawn between July 2023 and November 2025 through several commercial banks without due process.
“This level of financial recklessness is unprecedented,” he said, without providing documentary evidence.
The group also accused anti-corruption agencies of failing to act, alleging that monitoring teams of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had not checked abuses of financial procedures in the state.
“It is ironic that a government accused of massive financial violations is now presenting itself as a champion of accountability,” Tafoki said.
He called on the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to investigate the finances of the current administration instead of focusing on the previous government. He also urged the agencies to reopen older corruption cases involving past Sokoto administrations.
The group further called for transparency regarding Justice Pindiga, demanding the release of reports on alleged corruption cases involving the judge to restore public confidence.
The Sokoto State government and the committee of inquiry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The group warned that politicizing anti-corruption efforts could undermine democracy and weaken genuine accountability in Nigeria.