“You Run Anti-graft Bodies, The Mask Is Off” ADC To Tinubu

By Adesina Soyooye

For the African Democratic Congress, ADC, there is no longer any doubt over who runs Nigeria’s Anti-graft bodies  – the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.

As far as the ADC is concerned, there is no doubting the fact that the two are not independent; that they take instructions  from the Executive Arm of Government, specifically, President Bola Tinubu.

Proof? The President’s unprecedented directive to the EFCC to immediately unfreeze the First Bank Account of the Osun State Government which the EFCC, inexplicably froze 10 days before the Governorship election in the state – scheduled for August 15.

The President in giving the directive, said the EFCC’s action deeply embarrassed him. By his action the President earned applause from not a few Nigerians who equally were very embarrassed by the situation. The directive de-escalated a tense situation which had reached a boiling point.

But the ADC says it is given President Tinubu no roses for the swift intervention. Instead, the Party has given the President a thumbs-down.

It said the intervention has confirmed that the anti-graft bodies are run by the President; that it is the President who directs them on what to do. This is an allegation that the President has consistently denied, and which he, also, pointed out in his directive to the EFFC to unfreeze Osun Government accounts.

In a statement in reaction to the President’s directive, Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC

on Thursday said President Bola Tinubu’s directive ordering the  EFCC, to reverse the freezing of the Osun State Government’s accounts has rubbished the claims to any independence by Commission even though the Party welcomed the reversal.

The President’s directive, said the ADC, raises questions.

Abdullahi “If the President possesses the authority to direct the EFCC to withdraw from court proceedings because the political consequences may affect an election, then it follows that he possesses the authority to direct the Commission in other operational matters as well.

“The net implication is that the carefully cultivated argument that these agencies operate entirely independently collapses under the weight of the President’s own statement.”

The ADC also put a lie to President Tinubu’s claim that the EFCC froze the Osun account based on a court order.

“It is either the President was misinformed or he had chosen to misrepresent the facts. Either possibility is deeply disturbing,” Abdullahi said.