The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied claims that its chairman, Ola Olukoyede, met with governors before they joined the APC.
Paul Ibe, the spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, made the claim during a TV interview on May 22.
He alleged that Olukoyede met with a serving governor and his predecessor in a south-south state, 48 hours before they defected.
Ibe also claimed that the Solicitor-General of the Federation attended the meeting but refused to name the officials involved, though he suggested they were from the South-South region.
“The meeting happened at a government lodge just before the defection,” Ibe stated.
EFCC Responds Swiftly
The EFCC immediately rejected the allegation on May 23, calling it false and malicious. The commission’s spokesperson said Olukoyede remains neutral and does not support any political party.
“Olukoyede has stressed it at several fora that he is apolitical and the EFCC totally wired against partisan tendencies,” the statement read.
The agency also described Ibe’s statements as “patently fabricated and in bad taste.”
Attorney-General’s Office Also Reacts
Kamarudeen Ogundele, the media aide to Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi, also dismissed the claim, saying Ibe’s words were false and made up.
“Although he (Ibe) failed to mention their names, the discerning members of the public know those he could have been referring to,” Ogundele said. “However, we wish to state categorically that the allegation is from the pit of hell, and at best, a figment of the imagination of Mr Ibe,” he added.
Defections in the South-South Zone
Recently, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has seen several defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In April, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, joined the APC. Now, Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno’s body language shows anything but defection to the ruling party.
These defections have led to concerns about the APC’s growing control and fears of a one-party system in Nigeria.
The region mentioned in Ibe’s claim — the South South — is at the centre of these political changes.
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