According to The Punch, the APC governors noted that they would not be forced to publicly declare their assets saying there is nowhere in the constitution that mandated them to do so.
The APC governors explained that they were only mandated to furnish the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) with information of their properties and not to the public.
Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong, told The Punch that it was not his duties to publish his assets but that of the CCB adding that the law required that he declared his properties to the CCB but silence about public declaration.
Lalong said: “I have declared my assets as required by the law and it is left for the Code of Conduct Bureau to publish it. I don’t think that the law makes it mandatory for me to publish my assets. Anybody who wants to know should approach the bureau for the form I filled and submitted to it.”
Taking a different view on why he would not declare his assets, the Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha said that those drumming for his assets declaration are mainly the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, who he said are still shock of their defeat at the poll. He added that the reason for this call by the opposition is with the intention to frustrate his government.
Okorocha said: “I will not rule the people of the state by public opinion. There were no calls for declaration of assets during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.”
The governor decision was conveyed by his spokesman, Sam Onwuamado, who said that public assets declaration was an individual decision not a collective one.
On the part of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, of Osun state, he said that he was not disposed to public assets declaration as details of his worth which he had been sent to the CCB.
Aregbesola’s spokesman, Semiu Okanlawon said: “The constitution does not state that the governor should declare his asset publicly. I know that the governor has declared his assets to the CCB. The governor has met all the necessary constitutional requirements.”
Same applies to Nassarawa state governor, Tanko Al-makura, he kept mute on the issue of public assets declaration. The governor media aide, Tukur Ahmed, decline to comment on the issue of assets declaration of his principal.
On his part, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state disclosed that he will not publicly declared his assets.
Speaking through his mouthpiece, Kassim Afegbua, said: “My governor has said while it is constitutional for public officers to declare their assets, making it public is not a matter enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
“Every public officer is bound to declare, but the idea of making it public is not in the constitution.”
In the situation was not different with Oyo state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, who has distanced himself from public assets declaration.
A source who does not want to be named said that the Ajimobi had already declared his assets to CCB in the buildup to the general election. He said that governor did that twice in 2011 and 2015 saying that there is nothing for the governor to hide.
Also, the Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, is not prepared to declare his assets.
According a top government official that pleaded for anonymity, said that the governor has already done what is expected of him by the law.
The source said: “There is no moral reason for the governor to make his assets public.
“He did not promise to do so during his campaigns. Buhari made it a campaign issue and he has fulfilled his promise.”
The situation was not different in Adamawa state, as Governor Jibrilla Bindow has held the same opinion with his colleagues.
One of his supporters said that it was not stipulated in the law for the governor to publicly declare his assets.
For Kano state governor Abdullahi Ganduje and his Borno state counterpart, Kashim Shettima, public assets declaration is not compulsory.
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