Nasarawa West Youth Leaders Slam $500,000 Wadada Bribe Claim as Smear, Vow Court Action
By Yahaya Idris
The Nasarawa West Youth Leaders Forum, speaking on behalf of young people across the five local government areas in the Nasarawa West Senatorial District, has vehemently condemned what it described as a baseless and malicious allegation of a $500, 000 bribe demand against Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts.
In a press statement issued Thursday night and signed by Comr Jaafar Muhammad Loko (Convener) and Comr Samuel Kyauta Mami (Secretary), Nasarawa West Youth Leaders Forum., the group representing the collective voice of the district’s youth expressed utter dismay and indignation at the claim made by former Chief Financial Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Umar Ajiya, dismissing it as a laughable, poorly scripted character assassination and a desperate case of “corruption fighting back” aimed at distracting the public from massive financial irregularities uncovered by the Senate panel under Senator Wadada’s leadership.
The youth leaders highlighted the facts surrounding the controversy, noting that it is a matter of public record that Senator Wadada’s committee recently exposed a staggering N210 trillion discrepancy in the NNPCL’s audited accounts over several years, with the senator’s uncompromising stance on transparency consistently demanding accountability from those responsible.
They described the timing of Ajiya’s $500 million bribe allegation as highly suspicious and transparently diversionary, insisting that Ajiya and his associates are feeling the heat of legislative oversight and have resorted to cheap blackmail to tarnish the integrity of a public servant who has dedicated his life to service with clean hands.
“This is nothing but a tissue of lies from individuals who have questions to answer regarding the nation’s commonwealth,” the statement emphasized, portraying Senator Wadada as an illustrious son of Nasarawa West whose reputation is being unjustly dragged through the mud.
In outlining their firm position, the Nasarawa West Youth Leaders Forum passed a vote of absolute confidence in Senator Wadada, praising his unblemished track record of integrity in both private and public sectors as a leader who prioritizes constituents and national interests over personal gain.
They issued a direct challenge to Umar Ajiya to produce concrete, verifiable, and incontrovertible proof of the allegation within seven days, warning that failure to do so would confirm the claim as fabricated.
The group further threatened litigation, stating it would mobilize for massive legal action against Ajiya if he fails to retract the defamatory statement with an unreserved apology, while also petitioning security agencies to probe the matter as an attempt to intimidate a National Assembly official in the course of his constitutional duties.
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They urged the Senate and Presidency to remain undeterred by such antics and pursue the NNPCL investigation to its logical conclusion, insisting that Nigerians deserve full disclosure on how their resources are managed.
The forum concluded by hailing Senator Wadada as a beacon of hope and symbol of integrity for the youth of Nasarawa West, Nasarawa State, and Nigeria at large, vowing that no amount of blackmail or sponsored smear campaigns would derail his mission for transparency in public funds management.
They warned detractors of stiff resistance through all legitimate means, reaffirming their solid solidarity with the senator.
