<i>The PDP chieftain described pensioners involved in the petition against Mr Kwankwaso to the EFCC as ingrates</sub>
The deputy governorship candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano in the 2019 elections, Aminu Abdulsalam, says pensioners in the state accusing former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of fraud will go to hell because they are ingrates.
Mr Abdulsalam is the spokesperson for the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a group of loyalists of the former governor in Kano. He said the pensioners were wrong to have reported Mr Kwankwaso to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) because he used the pension funds as mandated by law.
Mr Abdulsalam spoke Thursday night on a programme with Express Radio on the anti-graft agency’s invitation of Mr Kwankwaso on allegations that he abused public office, diverted public funds, and unjustly allocated public houses to his cronies. The former governor did not honour the invitation.
Mr Kwankwaso had reviewed the minimum monthly pension to N5,000 and Mr Abdulsalam said any pensioner who does not appreciate that would go to hell.
“Kwankwaso has done his best to the pensioners and any pensioner that is not appreciative of what Kwankwaso did will go to hellfire. You can understand them going to hellfire because they are not grateful.”
The PDP chieftain also blamed Mr Kwankwaso’s ordeals on leaders of pensioners in the state who he accused of partisanship.
He said many pensioners did not sign the petition to the EFCC against Mr Kwankwaso.
Premium Times reported how <a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/184057-kano-pensioners-drag-kwankwaso-to-efcc.html”>pensioners in 2015 wrote a petition</a> to the EFCC accusing the then outgoing governor of diverting pension funds.
Mr Kwankwaso responded by filing a<a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nwest/190251-kwankwaso-slams-n10-bn-suit-against-kano-pensioners.html”> N10 billion suit</a> against the pensioners, alleging defamation of his character. The suit is still in court, six years after.
Last week, <a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nwest/484744-kwankwaso-shuns-efcc-investigation-risks-arrest.html”>Mr Kwankwaso shunned</a> an invitation by the EFCC. The pensioners sent their petition to the anti-graft agency shortly before Mr Kwankwaso’s left office in 2015.