Defection to APC won’t save corrupt politicians from prosecution – Tinubu

The Federal Government has declared that joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will not shield any political figure from ongoing corruption investigations or prosecutions.

This stance was made clear on Friday by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

In a statement released through his media aide, Mr. Kamarudeen Ogundele, Fagbemi emphasized that President Bola Tinubu’s administration remains committed to upholding the rule of law and will not be swayed by political affiliations in its anti-corruption efforts.

The Attorney-General made the remarks while responding to an allegation from Mr. Paul Ibe, spokesperson for former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.

Ibe had accused officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Ministry of Justice of meeting with a former and a serving governor from the South-South region shortly before their defection to the APC.

The AGF said his attention was drawn to the claim which Atiku’s aide made during an interview he granted on a national television.

Describing the allegation as contemptuous, the AGF stressed that though Mr. Ibe failed to mention the names of the defectors, “the discerning members of the public know those he could have been referring to,” he added.

“However, we wish to state categorically that the allegation is from the pit of hell, and at best, a figment of imagination of Mr Ibe.

“We know as a fact that the EFCC chairman and the Solicitor General of the Federation never met any serving or former governor as alleged by him.

“We appeal to the members of the public to disregard the insinuation as it was a feeble attempt to discredit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration’s fight against corruption.

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“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will continue to uphold the rule of law and will not falter in the fight against corruption no matter whose ox is gored,” the statement read.

Likewise, the EFCC, in a separate statement by its spokesperson, Mr. Dele Oyewale, maintained that Ibe’s claims that its Chairman, Ola Olukayode, held a secret meeting with an unnamed politician, was unfounded.

The anti-graft agency noted that Atiku’s aide had on May 22, during the television interview, “bared his mind on sundry theories, conjectures and assumptions relating to opposition politics and defections.”

It said the allegation that its Chairman and the Solicitor General of the Federation met with the said governor befire his defection to the APC, was “patently fabricated and in bad taste.”

“Olukoyede has stressed it at several fora that he is apolitical and the EFCC totally wired against partisan tendencies.

“The public is enjoined to disregard the alleged meeting with the unnamed Governor as it only exists in the imagination of Ibe,” EFCC’s statement further read.