Senator Barau Jibrin Threatens Legal Action Over $10M Bribery Allegations By APC Coalition
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO – Senator Barau Jibrin, Deputy President of the Senate, on Friday threatened legal action against Alwan Hassan and others over allegations of a $10 million bribe to block the confirmation of Abdullahi Garba Ramat as Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
On Friday, certain individuals claiming to be members of the defunct Gawuna Campaign Organisation, alleged that Senator Barau and Senate President Godswill Akpabio accepted the bribe to subvert Ramat’s confirmation.
However, the Tinubu/Barau Support Groups Coalition in a reaction dismissed the allegations as “false, malicious, and politically motivated”.
Addressing a press conference, Coalition Convener Hafiz Sani Liman said the allegations were an attempt to tarnish Senator Barau’s reputation and undermine his commitment to good governance and national development.
Liman stated that Senator Barau has consistently supported the appointment of Kano indigenes to federal positions and has sponsored bills promoting development in the region.
“The press conference jointly addressed by Hon. Muhammadu Badaru Umar and Alwan Hassan was filled with lies, mischief, misinformation, and fabrication,” Liman said.
“It is mischievous and laughable to suggest that Senator Barau is scheming to subvert the confirmation process.”
Liman noted that the Senate Committee on Power, chaired by Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe, has carried out the screening of Ramat, and the report is expected to be presented on the Senate floor soon.
The Coalition has called on Nigerians, especially those from Kano, to disregard the allegations and recognize them as a desperate attempt to discredit Senator Barau.
“Senator Barau remains a beacon of unity, integrity, and progress in Nigeria’s political landscape,” Liman said.
“No amount of blackmail or propaganda can distract him from his constitutional responsibilities or his mission to advance the welfare of the people of Kano North and the Nigerian nation at large.”