My trial won”t deter me from fighting for masses – Bafarawa

Former Governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa has said his ongoing trial would not deter him from fighting for the masses because that has been in his blood right from childhood. He also said that nobody could dent his political image or block his political profile from rising except God. Bafarawa added that the graft case against […]

Former Governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa has said his ongoing trial would not deter him from fighting for the masses because that has been in his blood right from childhood.

He also said that nobody could dent his political image or block his political profile from rising except God.

Bafarawa added that the graft case against him was a ploy to tarnish his political image which would not succeed as only God could do that to him.

According to him, both the N100 million and the N4.1 billion alleged arms money received by him and his son had been shared to some people as directed by the then government whose names he had personally submitted to EFCC but were not invited by the agency.

Bafarawa further insisted that he is not corrupt and he would never be one,  recalling that while leaving office as a Governor of Sokoto state he left behind N12 billion.

"I inherited only N20 million and I left 12 billion while leaving office, if I am corrupt I would have pocketed N2 billion out of the money but I didn’t do that," he said.

He added that he was the first and only Governor that didn’t receive estacodes, put at $2,000 per night, and never bought a ticket more than three times for an international trip throughout his tenure.

The former governor was addressing delegates of the Association of the Northern Students who conferred on him "The Philanthropist of the Federal Republic" award at his residence in Sokoto Thursday’s night.

The one-time presidential aspirant, reiterated that the trial would only encourage him to continue fighting for the right of other people, assuring the students that he would prove his innocent in the court.

He told the students that education is their right and that they should stand and fight for it.

"The challenge is yours. Wake up, put your house in order and fight for your right," he advised.

He said he was receiving their award just to encourage them as he had decided not to receive any awards after leaving office.

Earlier, leader of the students, Usman Sa’idu said the award was meant to appreciate the contribution of the former Governor in the development of education in the state and Nigeria in general.