Agbakoba lauds Tinubu for removing EFCC boss, Emefiele

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba, has commended President Bola Tinubu for sacking Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, and Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Agbakoba also urged Tinubu to dismantle Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and reform the agency.

The human rights activist and maritime lawyer, in a statement yesterday, stressed the need to reform INEC, describing the 2023 elections as the worst in the history of the country.

He said: “Congratulations to President Tinubu for getting rid of Emefiele and Bawa and fuel subsidy and forex corruption. Endemic corruption has suffered a massive blow. Next is for the President to dismantle INEC. Everyone will agree that logistically, the 2023 elections were the worst in our history.

“I do not refer to the merits of the results of the elections. Many results are disputed and are in tribunals. Both petitioners and respondents suffered at the hands of an incompetent INEC.”

“As we await rulings from the courts, massive reforms of the electoral framework ought to begin. But this means that the INEC Chairman will have to leave office by resignation or removal, otherwise the reform task will be impeded.”

Agbakoba restated that his call for reform has nothing to do with facts of election results, maintaining: “Both winners and losers were victims of the failure of INEC. Confidence in Nigeria’s democracy will be enhanced by a deep cleansing of INEC.”