Yobe N20bn Project Trail: Buni’s Support For Wali As Successor Raises Questions Over Future Probe

The political succession plan being championed by Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni is coming under scrutiny amid allegations that his support for former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Baba Mallam Wali, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate could help shield key officials from scrutiny over billions of naira spent on government projects.

Street News Reporters gathered from sources familiar with the workings of the Yobe State Government that Wali’s emergence as the ruling party’s candidate was not only a political calculation but was allegedly linked to his close involvement in the administration and his knowledge of how major projects and financial decisions were handled.

The allegations have gained renewed attention following a Street News Reporters investigation into a government approval releasing ₦1.5 billion to the Ministry of Transport and Energy for payments relating to the International Cargo Airport in Damaturu.

Wali signed the letter approving the projects in his capacity as SSG while he was in office.

More significantly, an accompanying project schedule lists projects with a combined value of approximately ₦20 billion, raising questions about how the projects were selected, priced, awarded and executed.

The development has fuelled concerns over whether Wali’s potential emergence as governor could affect future scrutiny of decisions and expenditures made under the current administration, particularly those involving major infrastructure projects.

However, the allegations remain claims from sources and documents reviewed in connection with the reported approvals, and the relevant authorities would need to provide clarification on the procurement, funding and execution of the projects.