PDP Senators Cautioned Against Alleged Use Of EFCC To Intimidate Opponents

RIPPLES of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invitation to the wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki to appear before it remained unsettled, as senators elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Friday warned against alleged unleashing the anti-graft agency on members of the National Assembly.

The wife of the Senate President has been invited by the EFCC to appear before it next week Tuesday, July 28.

In a statement signed ‎by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi representing Delta North Senatorial District on behalf of all PDP Senators, it was pointed out that any attempt to unleash the anti-graft agencies on members of the National Assembly as a result of the leadership crisis would not only be constitutionally and lawfully resisted but could have dire consequences on governance in the country.

Nwaoboshi stated that much as the lawmakers were not against the anti-corruption agencies performing their statutory duties, the invitation by EFCC to the wife of the Senate President clearly indicated that the threat by a group within the National Assembly that they would use all means to fight the leadership is now being carried out. According to the former chairman of PDP in Delta state, “Nigerians should ask EFCC what they were waiting for all this while before realising that they need to invite Mrs. Saraki when she actually left the Government House with her husband in 2011. And why should the invitation come a few days after a senator threatened that his group and their sponsors will bring the Senate President down?”

“We also think that the same witch-hunt that the family of the Senate President is suffering now is the same thing happening to his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu whom the Police have been disturbing. But let it be known that these two gentlemen and the other leaders of the Senate enjoy the support of 85 senators, and at the right time we will jointly make our opinion known on the harassment of our leaders”, he said.

“Let us remind the EFCC that there are many leaders of the APC whose matter were well highlighted during the campaign period, yet the commission did nothing. Now, the commission has no inhibition to be harassing a woman and they want us to believe they are just doing their job. What a double standard,” they added.

The Senators further advised President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that some people do not use his name to misuse state machinery and fight political opponents in the guise of waging war against corruption. “The President is a father to all. He has done well by not taking side with any of the contending groups. We will sort out things among ourselves but he should not let people mess up his name or undermine his plan to fight corruption by using EFCC, ICPC and other agencies to intimidate opponents”, they added.