EFCC begins bribery investigation against Adams Oshimole
The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will this week begin
investigation into allegations of financial impropriety leveled against
the embattled national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress
(APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and his Chief of Staff, Abbas Braimoh.
Speaking
at the weekend, a member of the party’s National Working Committee
(NWC), who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the anti-graft agency
will invite Oshiomhole for interrogation over the allegations as they
constitute financial crime.
According to him, there were series
of petitions forwarded to the anti-graft agency by some aggrieved
stakeholders of the party following the outcome of the just concluded
primaries where it was alleged that Oshiomhole allegedly collected
bribes to award the party’s tickets to the highest bidder.
“From
available information, I believe the EFCC is looking into the matter and
the national chairman and his Chief of Staff may be invited this week.
Aside the DSS, some aggrieved members also petitioned the EFCC, alleging
that the recently concluded primaries were marred by bribery
allegations.
“While many of the aspirants didn’t come out in the
open, we have seen people like Osita Okechukwu, the Director-General of
the Voice of Nigeria (VON), who pointedly accused Oshiomhole of
corruptly enriching himself through the primaries. He also urged the DSS
and EFCC to immediately probe the call logs of Oshiomhole.
“So, I
believe the EFCC will begin its probe this week. Those who wrote the
petition will be made to present their facts while the national chairman
will defend himself”, he said.
“What happens, thereafter, will determine the fate of the national chairman”, he noted.
On
whether President Muhammadu Buhari will not intervene just as he was
reported to have done when Oshiomhole was grilled by the DSS, another
source in the presidency said while he was not aware of the EFCC case,
the president will not intervene if indeed Oshiomhole is found guilty.
“I
don’t think the president will shield him or prevent EFCC from doing
its job. If you know, the president has always given the EFCC a free
hand to investigate anyone no matter how highly placed. The president
will not stop EFCC from doing its job.
“Remember, the general
election is just few weeks away and one of the campaign promises is the
fight against corruption. So, how can it be said that he is shielding
the national chairman of his party from being investigated? If he does
that, the opposition will latch on to that and it will not do his image
or the party a lot of good.
“If the president decides to
investigate the DSS saga, that is understandable based on reports that
the DSS asked the national chairman to resign. It is not their
responsibility to do that since he was elected by members of the party.
If found guilty, the DSS should come out and say so and allow the party
do the needful”, he said.
Efforts to reach the EFCC and
Oshiomhole proved abortive as calls and text messages sent to their
phones were not answered as at the time of going to press.
Oshiomhole,
who had earlier addressed the media at the weekend, had denied
collecting money from anybody to favour them at the primaries, saying if
it has to do with money, the governors, who are making the allegations,
are better placed to do such.
Also speaking on his invitation by
the DSS, he stated that if it is about corruption issue, there won’t be
need for intervention of the agency, but the EFCC.
“Let
me tell you, I’ve heard some people talk about bribe and Imo State.
I’ve looked round and I’m asking myself, who, in Imo State can afford to
bribe me.
“Ordinarily, I should be protective of the person in
power who should have the resources to dole out something. But I’m
standing on principle, so that cannot happen and that did not happen.
So, who is it in Imo that can induce me?”
He also denied reports
that he met with National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in
London over his interaction with the DSS.
Oshiomhole, who spoke
to reporters in Benin City after attending the interdenominational
service to mark Governor Godwin Obaseki’s second year in office,
explained that there was no reason for him to go to London to see Tinubu
when he could easily see him in Lagos.
The former Edo State
governor said he has unhindered access to the Presidential Villa to see
the leader of the APC, President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to him, “What am I doing in London? Why should I go to London to see Tinubu when I can see him in Bourdillon?
“What
are the issues between him and me that we are to resolve in London? The
leader of the party which is President Buhari, I have access to the
Villa all the time. I don’t need to go to London to see my leader
through the Queen.
“The truth is that once a news reporter
succeeds in preaching one lie, he is obliged to preach several lies to
sustain the one lie. Some of the media having allowed opposition to
misuse them to fake news they now feel obliged to faking more news but I
am here and I am fine.”
Speaking about the grievances of some
aspirants, Oshiomhole urged them to learn from President Buhari, who
contested for the presidency three times without losing hope. He said
there was no way he could make all the contestants win at the primaries.
Reacting
to the issue, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenged Oshiomhole
to come out clean on whether he actually collected money to favour some
aspirants in his party or not instead of avoiding the issue when quizzed
by journalists.
Kola Ologbondiyan, the party’s National
Publicity Secretary, in a chat said Oshiomhole should tell Nigerians
whether he actually received bribes from APC aspirants or not.
“If
you went through everything the national chairman of APC said about his
invitation by DSS and his interactive session he deviated from the fact
of the matter. What are the facts of the matter?
“The fact of
the matter was that he was invited and investigated on issues bordering
on malfeasance and corruption. During his interview with journalists,
Oshiomhole tactically avoided the questions posed to him about
corruption.
“The position of PDP is very clear. We believe that
the DSS invited Oshiomhole particularly on issues bordering on
corruption. He should address that corruption issue and tell the media
the truth. Until he does that, everything he said is secondary. It is of
no bearing and does not matter to the issue at stake.
“The issue
at stake is: did he collect money from aspirants seeking the partly’s
ticket or not and gave the ticket to the highest bidder? This is a clear
case of corruption if true and if the EFCC has taken over the case, to
us in the PDP, it is a welcome development”, he said.
