A group under the aegies of Concerned Niger Youths (CNY), has said allegations bothering on money laundering and other sharp practices against Liman Isah Kantagi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate are enough to disqualify him as a governorship candidate in the state.
The group said the state deserved a personality whose hands are not tainted and soiled by allegations of wrong doing as public officer like that of Kantagi.
It drew attention to the Federal High Court ruling which indicted the governorship candidate for offenses relating to money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
It also noted that an attempt by Kantagi to reverse the judgment of the lower court at the appeal court was dismissed in February 2022.
The group thereby called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify the PDP candidate from the governorship poll on Saturday based on his indictment by a court of competent jurisdiction.
In a statement signed Thursday, by the group’s coordinator, Ndagi Mohammed Lemu, wondered why the PDP would field such person as candidate for the state’s number one position knowing the enormity of the indictment.
Recall that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja in February 2022, dismissed Kantigi’s application for leave to reverse the judgment of the trial court bothering on money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Danjuma on February 4, a copy sighted by our correspondent on Wednesday held that the application being an abuse court process was liable to be dismissed and was accordingly dismissed.
Appellants in the appeal marked, CA/A/CR/468/2021 is Liman Isa Kantigi while, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Musa Datti, Sadiq Air Travel Agency Ltd, Katah property & Investment are the 1st, 2nd 3rd, and 4th respondents respectively.
Liman kantigi, along with others were charged for offenses relating to money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering before the Federal High Court Abuja on the 25″ day of June 2018.
In the said charge, the Appellant’s name was deployed in all 13 counts as predicate offender but the Appellant himself was said to be at large.
At the trial court, the petitions upon which the learned trial Judge found against the appellant was admitted in evidence as Exhibit O and P respectively from Niger State Government alleged that the sum of N 18,000,000.00 (Eighteen Million Naira Only) and N141,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Forty-One Million Naira Only) respectively when appellant occupied an office in Niger Government house.
At the end of the trial, by justice jeoma L. Ojukwu the Appellant was indicted by the trial court which found that the offence alleged against the Appellant were established by the prosecution.
Dissatisfied, the appellant applied to appeal against the judgment, however the court found no merit in his appeal and dismissed the appeal.
