- he insisted that no such petition had been brought to his attention
- He argued that several political office holders facing corruption allegations are still actively contesting elections or occupying positions
- he maintained that he had not been officially informed of any move by the ADC to block his candidacy
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship aspirant for the 2027 Niger State election, Idrisu Makanta, has said he is unaware of any petition reportedly filed by his party seeking his disqualification over alleged corruption issues.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Makanta was reacting to reports claiming that the ADC had written a petition against him, urging that he be dropped from the race due to an ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged fraud.
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Speaking in a media interview, he insisted that no such petition had been brought to his attention, while questioning the rationale behind calls for his disqualification.
He argued that several political office holders facing corruption allegations are still actively contesting elections or occupying positions, suggesting that his own situation should not be treated differently.
Makanta, popularly known as the Shinkafan Nupe, confirmed that he was previously detained by the EFCC in connection with an alleged N3 billion rice fraud case and is currently standing trial in court.
However, he maintained that he had not been officially informed of any move by the ADC to block his candidacy.
Earlier, the party had reportedly stated that it would not present candidates whose integrity could undermine its chances in elections.
Despite this, Makanta insisted he had not seen any formal petition against him, dismissing the claims as unverified.
He stressed that his legal matters would ultimately be decided by the courts, adding that both “the court of law and the court of public opinion” would determine the outcome of his case.
Makanta also noted that many individuals with pending cases, including governors, continue to face the EFCC while still holding or pursuing political offices.
The former Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) director in Abuja further explained that his governorship ambition was not entirely self-driven, stating that he was encouraged by his community to contest.
According to him, this is not the first time he has been persuaded to run, as he had previously been urged by his people to join the governorship race.
He also claimed he did not personally obtain or finance his party nomination form, saying he was unaware of who purchased it on his behalf.
Makanta further expressed concern about rising insecurity in Nigeria, linking it to poverty and inequality. He argued that insecurity tends to worsen where wealth distribution is uneven and economic hardship is widespread.
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