TheCable

A group identified as Oodua United Assembly has alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is after Senate President Bukola Saraki because it wants to conscript him into accepting Ali Ndume’s bid for senate presidency in the 9th assembly.

In a statement by its leader, Folorunsho Olalekan, the group said there were signs that Ibrahim Magu, EFCC chairman, had “descended into the arena”, to the extent that many had asked  President Muhammadu Buhari to call him to order, but contended that Magu has been further emboldened, because of the “president’s aloofness”.

Olalekan said Magu had fully dabbled into the race for the leadership of the senate and using the “instrument of his office to harass potential stumbling blocks on the way of his candidate”

“About two weeks, the EFCC invited the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu to its office for questioning on some of their usual trumped up charges and having waited since morning till about evening, he said he was tired and wanted to go home. But they refused to let him go except he signs certain undertaking,” Olalekan said.

“But while this argument subsisted, somebody walked in. Lo and behold, it was Ndume, apparently planned as a coincidence. Sighting Ekweremadu, he started acting as though he was genuinely concerned, querying why they kept him there for that long.

“To cut a long story short, Ndume alone signed N1 billion bail bond for Ekweremadu without much ado. Technically, the DSP is now indebted to him hence he is leading the campaign for Ndume’s aspiration. Magu has done same to Senator Stella Oodua, who is also canvassing for Ndume.

“But because they hold the view that regardless of his current status, Saraki still carries some weight in the senate, Magu is desperately molesting and harassing him just to toe the path of his candidate for the office of the Senate president, sadly, against a candidate generally considered the choice of the president.

“Therefore, if the president thinks staying aloof in a matter as sensitive as this is a strategy, then, this matter needs no further debate. But Magu’s recent disposition has done something for everyone; it has vindicated the Department of State Services, which wrote two different reports at two different times saying Magu lacked the capacity and credibility to hold that office.

“This is why we are calling on the president to put Magu in his place. He has outstepped his boundary by stepping into the race for senate presidency and harassing people just, because he wants to make his choice candidate the senate president. This is not an assignment from the presidency, but a personal errand that clearly conflicts the interest of the presidency.”

The group therefore asked the EFCC to leave Saraki alone as it has failed to disabuse the minds of the people that his chase after Saraki was not personal.