Former Governor Ngilari, who briefly governed the North Eastern state from October 2014 to May 2015, has recently spoken out about his experiences with the Nigerian judicial system and political landscape. He became the first victim of a court ruling related to corruption since the return of democracy in 1999.
Ngilari was convicted of corruption involving N166 million and sentenced to prison after leaving office, but the appeal court later acquitted him. In an interview with Trust TV’s Daily Politics, he shared his perspective on his case and the challenges he faced.
Ngilari emphasized the difficulty of being honest and righteous in Nigerian politics, stating that his commitment to integrity had garnered him numerous enemies. He asserted that none of the charges against him alleged that he took or diverted any money.
Furthermore, he revealed his aspirations to contest for a senatorial seat after losing the governorship but was unable to do so because party delegates were demanding large sums of money, as much as N1 million each, to secure their support. Despite his willingness to offer N100,000 to multiple delegates, they declined, citing other individuals willing to provide N1 million per delegate.
Ngilari was convicted of corruption involving N166 million and sentenced to prison after leaving office, but the appeal court later acquitted him. In an interview with Trust TV’s Daily Politics, he shared his perspective on his case and the challenges he faced.
Ngilari emphasized the difficulty of being honest and righteous in Nigerian politics, stating that his commitment to integrity had garnered him numerous enemies. He asserted that none of the charges against him alleged that he took or diverted any money.
Furthermore, he revealed his aspirations to contest for a senatorial seat after losing the governorship but was unable to do so because party delegates were demanding large sums of money, as much as N1 million each, to secure their support. Despite his willingness to offer N100,000 to multiple delegates, they declined, citing other individuals willing to provide N1 million per delegate.