Ex-Senate President Lawan Denies Allegations Of Misappropriation In Yobe Water Project

The office of Senator Ahmad Lawan has dismissed recent allegations linking the former Senate President to the misappropriation of funds allocated for the Gashua Water Supply Project in Yobe State, describing them as “baseless and malicious fabrications” motivated by political desperation.

In a statement issued to journalists on Thursday in Abuja, Lawan’s Media Adviser, Dr. Ezrel Tabiowo, said the claims were the handiwork of individuals threatened by the Yobe North Senator’s growing political influence and goodwill in the senatorial district.

“These claims are nothing but malicious fabrications, deliberately orchestrated by desperate individuals intent on smearing the impeccable reputation of the former Senate President,” he said.

Senator Lawan, who has served in the National Assembly for over 25 years, was commended for his record of integrity and transparency, especially during his tenure as chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts under Senate President Senator David Mark. According to the statement, Lawan has never been summoned or investigated by any anti-graft agency throughout his legislative career.

Addressing his alleged role in the Gashua Water Supply Project, the statement clarified that Lawan only facilitated the project’s inclusion in the 2021 federal budget in response to a spike in kidney-related illnesses caused by contaminated water in the area.

It emphasised that he neither executed the project nor participated in its funding or management.

The completed project was officially commissioned and handed over to the Yobe State government on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, by the Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the event.

“It is no coincidence that these allegations are emerging at a time when Senator Lawan’s political stature continues to rise,” Tabiowo said. “However, no amount of propaganda can tarnish his legacy of service.”

While welcoming constructive criticism, the statement warned that any further attempts to spread falsehoods would be met with legal action to protect Senator Lawan’s reputation.

The public and media were urged to disregard the allegations and focus on the Senator’s enduring record of public service.