If the allegations from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are to be taken seriously, no fewer than 58 former governors are accused of looting, embezzling, laundering, or misappropriating a total of N2.187 trillion over 25 years.
This amount, according to Vanguard, does not include properties confiscated worldwide or those under investigation, which amount to billions of Naira.
The N2.2 trillion looted is equivalent to the Lagos State 2024 budget of N2.25 trillion and the entire South-East states’ 2024 budget of N2.29 trillion. It is several billion higher than the North-Central states’ 2024 budget of N1.89 trillion, and North-East’s N1.60 trillion.
The 58 former governors the EFCC is probing, probed, investigated and prosecuted are drawn from all parts of the country. Since the return to civil rule on May 29, 1999, the 36 states of the country have had no fewer than 170 governors.
Abia State has produced four governors, namely Orji Uzor Kalu, Theodore Orji, Okezie Ikpeazu and Alex Otti.
Anambra State produced six – Chinwoke Mbadinuju, Chris Ngige (annulled election), Peter Obi, Virgy Etiaba (acting), Willie Obiano and Chukwuma Soludo.
In Ebonyi, it is four, namely, Sam Egwu, Martin Elechi, Dave Umahi and Francis Nwifuru.
Enugu State also had four governors — Chimaroke Nnamani, Sullivan Chime, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Peter Mbah.
Imo State produced five – Achike Udenwa, Ikedi Ohakim, Rochas Okorocha, Emeka Ihedioha (annulled election), and Hope Uzodimma.
In Akwa Ibom there are four Victor Attah, Godswill Akpabio, Udom Emmanuel and Umo Eno.
Bayelsa has seven, namely, late DSP Alamieyeseigha, Goodluck Jonathan, Timipre Sylva, Werinipre Seibarigo (acting), Nestor Binabo (acting), Seriake Dickson and Duoye Diri.
Cross River produced four helmsmen viz- Donald Duke, Liyel Imoke, Ben Ayade and Bassey Otu.
Delta State had four – James Ibori, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Ifeanyi Okowa and Sheriff Oborevwhori.
It was also four in Edo with the likes of Lucky Igbinedion, Oserheimen Osunbor (annulled election), Adam’s Oshiomhole and Godwin Obaseki.
Rivers State produced five – Peter Odili, Celestine Omehia (annulled), Rotimi Amaechi, Nyesom Wike and Siminalayi Fubara.
Lagos is among the states with four governors following the stints of Bola Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Ekiti, which is the second least populated state in Nigeria, has the highest turnover of governors with eight. They are Niyi Adebayo, Ayo Fayose, Gen Tunji Olurin (sole administrator), Tope Admiluyi (acting), Segun Oni (annulled), Tunji Odeyemi (acting), Kayode Fayemi and Biodun Oyebanji.
Ogun produced four governors viz: Segun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel, Ibikunle Amosun and Dapo Abiodun.
It was five in Ondo led by the late Adebayo Adefarati, late Olusegun Agagu, Olusegun Mimiko, late Rotimi Akeredolu and Lucky Aiyadatiwa.
Osun State also had five via Bisi Akande, Olagunsoye Oyinlola (annulled) , Rauf Aregbesola, Gboyega Oyetola and Ademola Adeleke.
Oyo State produced five – the late Lam Adesina, Rashid Ladoja, late Christopher Alao-Akala, late Abiola Ajimobi and Seyi Makinde.
In Benue State, there are four, namely, George Akume, Gabriel Suswam, Samuel Ortom and Hyacinth Alia.
Niger State also produced four in Abdulkadir Kure, Babangida Aliyu, Sani Bello and Mohammed Bago.
Kogi has had six men occupy the Government House since 1999. They include the late Abubakar Audu, Ibrahim Idris, Clarence Olafemi (acting), Idris Wada, Yahaya Bello and Usman Ododo.
Nasarawa produced four through Abdullahi Adamu, Aliyu Doma, Tanko Al’Makura and Abdullahi Sule.
Kwara also had four – Mohammed Lawal, Bukola Saraki, Abdulfatah Ahmed and Abdulrasaq Abdul Rahman.
In Plateau, there are five – Joshua Dariye, Michael Botmang (acting), Jonah Jang, Simon Along and Caleb Mutfwang.
Adamawa State produced six – Bonnie Haruna, Murtala Nyako, James Barka (acting), Umaru Fintiri, Bala Ngilari (acting), and Bindo Jibrila.
Bauchi elected four governors within the period – Adamu Muazu, Isa Yuguda, Mohammed Abubakar and Bala Mohammed.
Borno also has four late Mala Kachala, Ali Mode-Sheriff, Kashim Shettima and Babagana Zulum.
Gombe is among the states with four with the likes of Abubakar Hashidu, Danjuma Goje, Ibrahim Dankwambo and Inuwa Yahaya.
In Taraba, six persons had become governor as follows: Jolly Nyame, the late Danbaba Suntai, Garba Umar (acting), Sani Danladi (acting), Darius Ishaku and Agbu Kefas.
Yobe produced four Bukar Abba-Ibrahim, the late Mamman Ali, Ibrahim Geidam and Mai Mala Buni.
Jigawa also has four-Saminu Turaki, Sule Lamido, Badaru Abubakar and Umar Namadi.
In Kaduna, there are six – Ahmed Makarfi, Namadi Sambo, the late Patrick Yakowa, Ramalan Yero, Nasir el-Rufai and Uba Sani.
Kano produced four – Musa Kwankwaso, Ibrahim Shekarau, Umar Ganduje and Abba Kabir Yusuf.
Neighbouring Katsina also had four – late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Ibrahim Shema, Bello Masari and Dikko Radda.
In Kebbi, they are five – Adamu Aliero, Usman Dakingari, Amina Jega (acting), Atiku Bagudu and Nasir Idris.
Sokoto also has five – Attahiru Bafarawa, Aliyu Wamakko, Abdullahi Salame (acting), Aminu Tambuwal and Ahmad Aliyu.
Zamfara State also produced five governors, namely, Ahmed Yerima, Mahmoud Shinkafi, Abdulaziz Yari, Bello Matawalle and Dauda Lawal.
Among 170 governors, 18 were acting governors or those whose elections were nullified by the courts; 36 are currently serving and 114 were elected governors who served for one or two terms.
Among the 134 former governors, no fewer than 58 have had fraud-related tangos with the EFCC of which only four were convicted.
Those convicted were Chief Lucky Igbinedion (Edo), late DSP Alamieyeseigha (Bayelsa), Jolly Nyame (Taraba), and Joshua Dariye (Plateau).
Between 2020 and 2022, the EFCC secured 6,981 convictions, according to data obtained from its website: www.efcc.gov.ng. In 2020, the commission secured 976 convictions; did 2,220 in 2021, and an unprecedented 3,785 in 2022. The data for 2023 is yet to be released.
No former governor is among the 6,981 persons convicted for fraud in the last three years.
A host of the cases are still in court, some have been dismissed for lack of diligent prosecution by the anti-graft agency and those affected acquitted. Some former governors visited the EFCC over the petitions against them and nothing was heard thereafter. Also, some former governors are dead and so are the cases against them.
The 58 former governors who are having or have had brushes with EFCC and alleged amounts involved include late Abubakar Audu (N10.966 bn), TA Orji and sons (N551 bn), Yahaya Bello (N80.2 bn), Chimaroke Nnamani (N5. 3 bn), Sullivan Chime (N450 million), Kayode Fayemi (N4bn), Ayo Fayose (N6.9 bn), Abdullahi Adamu (N15bn), Danjuma Goje (N5bn), Aliyu Wamakko (N15 bn), Sule Lamido (N1.35 bn), Joshua Dariye (N1. 16 bn) and Timipre Sylva (N19.2 bn).
There are also Saminu Turaki (N36bn), Orji Uzor Kalu (N7. 6bn), Bello Matawalle (N70 bn), Lucky Igbinedion (N4. 5 bn), Musa Kwakwanso (N10bn), Peter Odili (N1000 bn), Jolly Nyame (N1.64 bn), James Ngilari (N167 m), Abdulaziz Yari (N84 bn), Godswill Akpabio (N100bn), Abdul fatah Ahmed (N9 bn), Ali Mode-Sheriff (N300bn), Willie Obiano (N43 bn), Ibrahim Dankwambo (N1. 3bn), Darius Ishaku (N39bn) and Ramalan Yero (N700m).
Others include Achike Udenwa (N350m), Rochas Okoro ha (N10. 8bn), James Ibori (N40 bn), DSP Alamieyeseigha ((N2.655bn), Gabriel Suswam (N3. 111bn), Samuel Orton (N107bn), Murtala Nyako (N29bn), Rashid Ladoja (4.7bn), Christopher Alao-Akala (N11. 5 bn), and Abdulkadir Kure (N600m).
The rest include Babangida Aliyu (N4bn), Abubakar Audu (N10bn), Idris Wada (N500m), Ibrahim Shekarau (N950m), Adamu Aliero (N10bn), Usman Dakingari and wife (N5. 8bn), Attahiru Bafarawa N19. 6bn), Jonah Jang (N6. 3bn), Aliyu Doma (N8bn), Tanko Al’Makura (N4bn), Boni Haruna (N93bn), Bindow Jibrila (N62bn), Adamu Muazu (13bn), Isa Yuguda N212bn) and Mohammed Abubakar (N8. 5bn).
The petitions against some former governors are hazy, and figures were not attached.
Last January, the commission reportedly said that it would revisit the N772 billion alleged fraud cases against 13 former governors. Apart from being acquitted, a host of the former state helmsmen are claiming that they are innocent of the allegations and accusing the EFCC of a political witch-hunt.
However, the anti-graft has insisted on revisiting some of the cases and ensuring that those indicted are brought to book. It is to be seen how far it would go in its latest offensive.
