Main opposition Peoples Democratic Party has enjoined the embattled Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, to step aside to allow an unhindered investigation of the allegations of malfeasance levelled against him.
PDP said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, in Abuja, on Monday that Magu’s invitation by a panel on such serious allegations as those in the public domain should interest every Nigerian.
According to the statement titled, “Magu’s Invitation, Investigation Confirms Malfeasance in EFCC- PDP…He Should Step Aside To Forestall Destruction of Evidence,” “The Peoples Democratic Party has asked the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to show the genuineness of its war against corruption by allowing the unhindered investigation of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.”
The major opposition party said Nigerians already knew that Magu was already being questioned, saying the fact that he had to honour the invitation of the Presidential Panel in company with his lawyer indicated that there was more to such an ‘invitation.’
PDP noted that the development around the EFCC acting chairman coupled with “the desperate attempt“ by the EFCC to cover his investigation, only raised more integrity questions regarding Magu’s activities in the anti-graft agency.
The PDP added, “Only last month, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, released a memo in which he indicted Magu of alleged diversion of recovered funds and fraudulent sale of assets seized by the EFCC.
“Our party, Nigerians and indeed, the international community are keenly monitoring the development and expect the Buhari Presidency to muster the courage to carry out a comprehensive investigation and make its findings available to the public.
“Now that Magu has been pulled in for investigation, the Federal Government should preserve the integrity of the office of the Chairman of the EFCC by ordering him to step aside while investigators take charge of every activity of the office to forestall the destruction of evidence as well as unnecessary interferences in the matter.“
The PDP argued that, with the allegations against Magu and his probe, the EFCC boss had lost the moral rectitude to continue to head the anti-graft agency.
The main opposition party, therefore, called on Magu to step aside until he’s proved to be innocent of the allegations levelled against him.
