Dalung Demands Explanation For Yari’s ‘Extraordinary Wealth’

Former Minister for Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has questioned how former Zamfara State Governor, Abdul’aziz Yari, amassed his wealth, following his appointment as Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign.

Dalung, in a statement he shared on Monday on his Facebook page, said Yari’s appointment raised the question of how he became “so extraordinarily wealthy,” stressing that the concern was not rooted in rumours or online estimates of his net worth but in documented court records.

He recalled that Yari governed Zamfara State from May 2011 to May 2019, having previously built a career mainly in politics, including party positions and a term in the House of Representatives.

According to him, the former governor’s financial affairs later came under serious scrutiny from anti-corruption agencies. He noted that the ICPC in 2019 obtained a court order freezing $669,248.89 and N24.3 million in funds linked to Yari and his associated companies.

Dalung further stated that a Federal High Court in January 2021 ordered the final forfeiture of N278.99m traced to Yari, after the funds could not be satisfactorily accounted for in court.

He added that the ICPC, in February 2022, secured an interim forfeiture order over 10 properties linked to him, located in Abuja, Kaduna, Zamfara and Maryland, United States.

The former minister said these were not personal allegations but matters that had gone before Nigerian courts, adding that while the court actions did not establish that all of Yari’s wealth was illicit, they nonetheless raised legitimate questions about his finances.

He said the questions had become harder to ignore this month, following reports that Yari, as chairman of Geregu Power, committed about N6bn of his personal funds to meet an immediate bond repayment obligation for the company.

Dalung described that sum as an extraordinary level of liquidity for a former governor whose known career had been predominantly political.

“What is the legitimate source of this wealth?” Dalung asked, further demanding to know what businesses or investments generated it, when such businesses were established, and what Yari owned before, during and after his time in office.

He maintained that being wealthy or owning businesses was not a crime, but argued that a former public office holder who becomes extraordinarily wealthy owes Nigerians an explanation of how that wealth was acquired.

The former minister said this was especially relevant given that Yari would now serve as one of the principal figures asking Nigerians to trust Tinubu’s candidacy and administration.

He asked what the President knew about Yari’s financial history that the public did not, and why Yari was considered the best fit for the role despite the unresolved questions.

Dalung clarified that he was not seeking to convict Yari in the court of public opinion, but was applying a standard he believes should apply to all former public office holders: that extraordinary wealth acquired after years of public service should be explained.

He said Yari should have no difficulty answering the question if his wealth had a clear and legitimate origin.

The former Governor who’s a senator representing Zamfara West in the 10th Senate could not be reached for comments and has not reacted to the Dalung’s statement.