The Governors’ Forum of the People’s Democratic Party, has condemned, in strong terms, the invitation to the National Leadership of the Party by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, just as the Party’s Senate Caucus warned the Commission, and passed a vote of confidence on the Leadership of the National Working Committee, NWC.
A former member of the Party, Kassim Afegbua, had written a petition against the party Leadership to the EFCC, asking the Commission to probe how the party spent the sum of 10 billion Naira he alleges, was realised from the sale of forms during the 2019 General elections.
Afegbua, a former Commissioner under the APC Government of Adam’s Oshiomhole, defected to the PDP, and was one of the Spokespersons of the PDP Presidential Candidate, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
But he fell out with the PDP in the run-up to the Edo Governorship election over the candidacy of Governor Godwin Obaseki, an APC Governor who had just, then, defected to the PDP after being, inexplicably, denied a second term ticket by the APC, under Oshiomhole’s leadership. Afegbua said the Party gave all the cards to new entrants, Obaseki and his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, on a platter of gold. He, therefore, campaigned against the PDP and Obaseki.
When he wrote the petition some few weeks ago, the PDP had responded by saying it realised no such amount of money from the sale of forms. It said it realised about four billion Naira, and spent same judiciously.
In any case, the party argued, it was the Party’s business how it spent its own money, and not that of the EFCC. It said only the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, could raise questions over its finances.
But early last week, to the consternation of the Party, the EFCC invited the PDP National Leadership over Afegbua’s petition.
On Friday, May 21, the Party’s Governors weighed in, expressing disappointment at the EFCC invitation, and likened it to a house owner running after a rat when the house is on fire.
In a Press Release, the Governors said the Commission was interfering in the Party’s internal affairs.
The Forum also warned the EFCC’s leadership not to allow the Commission to be used to muzzle the main opposition Party.
The Release signed by the Forum’s Director General, Hon CID Maduabum, reads:
“The recent invitation of officials of the PDP by the EFCC, acting on a spurious petition by a disgruntled former member of PDP, raises questions on the seriousness and impartiality of the anti-graft agency to do its work.
While PDP as a political party is accountable to its members and the general public for its actions, we are, however, concerned that the old tactics of using the EFCC to silence political opposition is creeping into our polity once again.
We had expected that the EFCC under a new leadership will learn from the mistakes of its predecessors.
It is a misplaced priority for EFCC to abandon revelations of monumental fraud by various officials and agencies of the Federal Government to pursue the PDP which is the main opposition party doing a yeoman’s job of preventing the descent into chaos and anarchy in Nigeria.
Perhaps, certain interests in Government are worried about the increasingly assertive role the PDP is playing in calling out corruption in Government, and wants to weaken and silence it.
Even the petition in question did not make a single allegation of misuse of Government funds, nor cheating of any individual or public authority by the PDP. It is, therefore, surprising that EFCC should use its scarce human and other resources to begin an investigation into PDP finances. If EFCC is even- handed and non-partisan, it should also conduct an investigation into other political parties’ including APC, the ruling party.
PDP is upto date in making financial returns as required by the Constitution to INEC, and we are not aware that INEC made any complaints to EFCC on PDP’s Returns.
The times are, really, perilous. We face existential threats as a nation, and PDP shouldn’t be distracted from its main role as a political watchdog on behalf of Nigerians.
Senate Caucus Pass Vote of Confidence in NWC
Reacting to the invitation, the PDP Caucus in the Senate cautioned the EFCC to be wary of being used to stifle opposition in the country.
The caucus at its meeting in Abuja expressed satisfaction with the level of accountability and transparency in the running of the affairs of the party. It, therefore, passed a vote of confidence on the l National Working Committee ,NWC, of the party, which Chairman is Prince Uche Secondus.
The Senators who met at the residence of the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the EFCC was usurping the statutory functions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The functions of the INEC include the monitoring of finances of political parties.
In a release signed by Abaribe’s Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom, the Caucus said:
“It is the exclusive legal preserve of the INEC to monitor the finances of the political parties and how they manage same. So the law is clear, that it is the function of the INEC to do so and not the EFCC. It is, therefore, preposterous for the anti-graft agency to invite the NWC of PDP over a phantom petition by an individual without recourse to what the law says in the circumstance. It is a misnomer and an aberration.”
The PDP Senators see the latest EFCC action as meddling in the affairs of the PDP and described it as a clear usurpation of powers that does not belong to it as a deliberate ploy to stifle opposition in Nigeria.
The caucus added that “Nigeria is a democracy and not a totalitarian state. Agencies of government should confine themselves to their statutory functions and not meddle into areas outside their assigned jurisdiction.
“It is not the role of EFCC to look into the finances of a political party as that is clearly the function of INEC. So if INEC has any issues with the party’s finances, they can raise query to that effect.
“Agencies of government must set the pace with respect to the rule of law. EFCC already has her hands full with other commitments and as such must not delve into areas that is way out of its statutory functions”, the caucus further declares.
The PDP Senators asked the NWC not to be dispirited by the “illegal invitation by the EFCC”, and should continue “performing its functions by giving vent to all organs of the party to play their role as the major opposition at this critical time in our dear country”.
The Magazine gathered over the weekend that the PDP would head to the Courts to stop the EFCC from poke-nosing.
It is not, yet, known if Afegbua has defected, again, from the PDP to the APC.
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