A heated exchange in a closed-door Senate session on Tuesday brought to light claims that Senator Kawu Sumaila of Kano South was the beneficiary of a N90 billion ecological contract — an arrangement the Senate leadership says was facilitated by President Bola Tinubu.
According to senators present, the confrontation began when Kawu criticized the state of project execution nationwide, saying many contractors remained unpaid despite loans the National Assembly approved for the federal government. Kawu warned that abandoned sites and unpaid contractors could hurt the re-election chances of lawmakers and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Senate leaders responded angrily, and, sources say, accused Kawu of having struck a deal with President Tinubu and the Senate leadership prior to his defection to the APC. Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele reportedly told colleagues that President Tinubu had facilitated a N90 billion ecological project in Kano for Kawu and had directed that Kawu be given the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream after the death of former Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
“Kawu’s comments infuriated the Senate President and the Senate Leader, who then exposed the deal Senator Kawu had with the Senate leadership and President Tinubu before he defected to the APC,” a source in the Senate said. “The arrangement led to the award of a N90 billion contract and Kawu’s appointment as Chairman of the Petroleum Downstream Committee.”
Kawu denied the insinuations and rejected the attempt to use the revelation against him. Witnesses quoted him as replying defiantly, “I cannot be blackmailed by them,” and saying the leadership could “take back both the Petroleum Downstream Committee chairmanship and the contract” if they wished.
The Senator reportedly maintained that he would not be intimidated for speaking frankly about contractors’ unpaid dues and abandoned projects, insisting he was voicing the concerns of many colleagues.
The episode underscores growing unease over project implementation and the political fallout of economic strains ahead of future elections. The claims about the contract and committee appointment were made in a closed session and remain allegations; Kawu’s rejection of the charge was immediate, and there has been no public documentation released to independently verify the reported N90 billion award.
