On Friday, the Federal Government issued a firm warning that recent defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will not inhibit its pursuit of corruption cases involving governors and other political officeholders. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, articulated this stance in a statement released by his media aide, Mr. Kamarudeen Ogundele.
Fagbemi emphasized that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to upholding the rule of law and will not waver in its fight against corruption, regardless of the political affiliations of those involved.
This declaration came in response to allegations made by an aide to former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. The aide, Mr. Paul Ibe, claimed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Solicitor General of the Federation met with a former and current governor from a South-South state just 48 hours before their defections to the APC.
Addressing these allegations, the AGF characterized them as “contemptuous” and lacking credibility, noting that Ibe failed to specify the names of the alleged defectors. “The discerning members of the public know those he could have been referring to,” he stated, before categorically dismissing the claims as “from the pit of hell” and a “figment of imagination.”
Fagbemi further assured the public that the EFCC Chairman and the Solicitor General had not held any such meetings as alleged. “We appeal to members of the public to disregard this insinuation, as it is a feeble attempt to undermine President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s ongoing battle against corruption,” he reiterated.
In a separate response, the EFCC, through its spokesperson, Mr. Dele Oyewale, labeled Ibe’s claims regarding a supposed secret meeting between its Chairman, Ola Olukayode, and unnamed politicians as baseless. The agency clarified that Ibe’s statements during a television interview were rooted in “theories, conjectures, and assumptions” regarding opposition politics and defections.
The EFCC emphasized that Chairman Olukayode maintains an apolitical stance and that the agency is steadfastly committed to avoiding partisan biases. It urged the public to dismiss the allegations regarding the alleged meeting with the unnamed governor as merely existing in Ibe’s imagination.