Erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has said that unleashing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) on opposition politicians by President Bola Tinubu would not save him from relocating back to Lagos come 2027.
In a statement made available to the media on Wednesday, Chief Eze, stated that the sudden activation of EFCC’s attack mode against perceived political foes was highly condemnable and signposts of an administration that was paranoid over conduct of a credible, free and fair election come 2027 general elections.
He alleged that the President was having his eyes on electoral fraud in 2027, following his unpopular appointment of Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Eze maintained that none of the devious plots being adopted by the Tinubu’s administration to retain power will come to fruition.
His words “I wish to state that none of these acts, both unleashing the EFCC on opposition politicians and appointment of Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, as the National Chairman of APC, so that he can manipulate INEC, will save Tinubu from relocating back to Lagos come 2027.
“The truth is that 2027 general elections are neither between APC and ADC nor any other political party, but emphatically between APC and Nigerians.
“With the level of hydra-headed socio-economic and political calamities that have befallen this country due to Tinubu’s inhumane, clueless and anti-people policies, I know Nigerians will do everything humanly possible to free themselves from the circle of deaths occasioned by maladministration”.
According to Eze, plans by the Tinubu government to intimidate the immediate Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), out of the coalition movement was an exercise in futility.
“For Tinubu to go after Malami, one of late President Muhammadu Buhari’s trusted Ministers, few weeks after the burial of the former President is a sign of ingratitude and obsession to hold unto power by all means without minding whose ox is gourd.
“Report at my disposal is that Malami will be questioned over at least five suspicious transactions during his time in office as the AGF and Justice Minister.
“Five of the transactions under investigation are: The mysterious payment of $496 million to Global Steel Holdings Ltd (GSHL) as settlement for the termination of the Ajaokuta Steel concession nine years after the Indian company had waved all claims for compensation.
“His handling of the sale of assets worth billions of naira forfeited to the EFCC by politically exposed persons.
“His role in the $419 million judgment debt awarded to consultants who claimed to have facilitated the Paris Club refunds to the States.
“The strange agreement to pay Sunrise Power $200million compensation in its dispute with the FG over the Mambilla power project; and
the duplicated legal fees in the transfer of $321million Abacha loot from Switzerland to Nigeria”.
He stated that in as much as he is not against prosecuting public officials who are suspected to have corruptly enriched themselves while in office, making such action selective and targeting politically exposed Nigerians in opposition, to say the least, was unacceptable and stands condemned.
“So, Tinubu wants Nigerians to believe and clap for him, that one of the former opposition governor’s serving presently in his administration as a Minister is a saint, and has no skeleton in his cupboard?
“I make bold to state categorically that going after Buhari’s Minister (Malami), is a deliberate but calculated plot to send warning signals to leading coalition movement politicians that nobody, no matter how highly placed, will be spared by Tinubu in a bid to retain power in 2027, Eze said.
He contended that the strategy by sitting Presidents to use security agencies like EFCC, DSS, Police, ICPC etc to hound opposition politicians prior to elections has become an old fashion and no longer dreaded because of its selective aura.
He insisted that Tinubu would have made an attempt by showing his intention to redeem Nigeria from the murky waters of bad democratic governance, which he plunged the country into, than wallowing in the dreamland of clinging unto power come 2027.
“Mr President can even try by showing his intention to be a good leader, but his obsession for another term of 4 years has derailed his administration and further reduced him to the worst President in the history of Nigeria’s democratic governance, Eze said.
He therefore appealed to Nigerians, irrespective of creed, language, tribe etc to rally round the coalition movement to stop Tinubu from leading Nigeria into another 4 years of hellish government.
Similarly, Eze argued that for Tinubu to single handedly influence the appointment of Prof Yilwatda as APC National Chairman, means he wants to tap into the former INEC’s top official’s knowledge and experience to rig the 2027 general elections.
“Honestly, Prof Yilwatda has the potential and reach background as an ICT Director, a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for INEC, and a Professor of Electrical Engineering, to influence the election umpire in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.
“Without mincing words, the emergence of Prof Yilwatda as APC National Chairman portends great danger and will definitely rob INEC of credibility and neutrality.
“Given Yilwatda’s appointment, his intimate knowledge of the electoral system, poses a great challenge to the integrity and public perception of Nigeria’s democratic process”, Eze reasoned.
He, therefore, called on Nigerians, the coalition movement, the international community and genuine democrats to brainstorm on best strategy to whittle down envisaged Yilwatda’s influence on INEC.
To address this challenge, Eze advised opposition stakeholders and lovers of democracy to ensure that the electoral system remains perceived as fair, transparent, and genuinely competitive.
“Nigerians should watch closely INEC’s next Chairman after Prof Yakubu Mahmood. No room should be given for complacency. Nigerians must resist any form of systemic manipulation by the APC in the 2027 general elections”, he cautioned.
