A Nigerian civil society coalition has called on former Zamfara State governor Abdulaziz Yari to address outstanding questions over the management of public funds during his time in office, following his recent appointment as chairman of the board of Geregu Power Plc.
The Coalition for Public Asset Accountability (CPAA) said the appointment had renewed public interest in unresolved issues relating to governance, asset management and financial transparency from Mr Yari’s eight-year tenure as governor of Zamfara State.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Wednesday, the group’s president, Comrade Olumide Adebanjo, urged Mr Yari to clarify his financial record by cooperating with oversight institutions and supporting the public release of his asset declarations held by the Code of Conduct Bureau.
According to the coalition, asset declarations made when Mr Yari assumed office in 2011 and when he left office in 2019 should be made available in line with constitutional provisions designed to promote transparency and public confidence in governance.
“The appointment of a former governor to a strategic leadership role in the power sector naturally attracts scrutiny,” the statement said. “These are not personal issues but questions of public accountability that arise when individuals who have held high office assume influential positions in critical sectors of the economy.”
CPAA stressed that it was not disputing Mr Yari’s eligibility to serve in private sector roles, including in publicly listed companies, but argued that unresolved concerns from a period of public service warranted open clarification.
“Our position is that former public office holders owe citizens a duty of openness. Where questions remain about the management of public resources, transparency is the most responsible response,” Mr Adebanjo said.
The coalition also linked its call to Zamfara State’s continuing development challenges, including insecurity, infrastructure deficits and poverty, arguing that accountability for past governance decisions remains relevant to current conditions.
The group noted that the scale and strategic importance of Geregu Power Plc within Nigeria’s electricity sector had further heightened public attention around the appointment. Geregu Power is one of the country’s major thermal power generation companies and plays a role in national electricity supply.
CPAA said that as former governors transition into sectors central to national development, standards of ethical conduct and transparency should be especially high, in order to protect institutional credibility in both public and private spheres.
There has been no public response from Mr Yari to the statement. Geregu Power Plc has also not commented on the coalition’s remarks.
