Indication have emerged during the week that President Muhammadu Buhari may boycott the campaign of his party’s gubernatorial candidates in Kogi and Bayelsa elections over corruption allegations hanging on their necks, BusinessDay has reliably gathered.
Prior to the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the seat of power, it has overtime been in the tradition of any Nigeria’s sitting President to show solidarity and endorsing any gubernatorial candidate on the party’s platform, but this may not happen as the President has chosen not to identify himself with his Kogi and Bayelsa governorship candidates who are currently standing trials before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
While Audu is standing trial at the Abuja High Court for allegedly embezzling N11 billion state funds while in office as Kogi State governor in 2003, his colleague in Bayelsa, Timipre Sylva is answering charges at the same court over illegal accumulation of properties in the Federal Capital Territory.
BusinessDay had exclusively reported on October 13, 2015, of the purported plans by the leadership of the party to replace Audu as its candidate having been indicted on a variety of allegations bothering on corruption and violation of the provisions of the Constitution of the APC and the guidelines for the conduct of the primaries.
To this end, “an official decision has been taken by President Muhammadu Buhari, his vice, Yemi Osinbajo, and some prominent leaders of our party to ignore open campaign for the duo of Audu and Sylva so as not to jeopardise or dent the President’s anti-corruption stance and his renewed commitment to the rule of law,” a source at the party secretariat told BusinessDay.
It was learnt that the Kogi Governorship candidate, Abubakar Audu was disappointed weekend as no party official nor the president or his vice was present during the presentation of party flag to him at the major his major campaign rally in Lokoja, the state’s capital.
Reports by an online media (Premiums Times) had it that chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) Ibrahim Lamorde, had written a letter to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, seeking the disqualification of Audu as the gubernatorial candidate of APC, from contesting the November 21 governorship election in the state.
According to the report, a letter dated September 21, 2015, with reference number EFCC/EC/SGF/03/59, and titled “F.R.N Vs Abubakar Audu & 1 other Charge No: FCT/CR/115/ 2013”, the EFCC chairman wrote to the SGF reminding him that Audu was standing trial for corruption.
“The candidate was arraigned by the Commission for abuse of office, theft of public funds and money laundering during his tenure as Executive Governor of Kogi State between 1999 and 2003 at both Kogi High Court, Lokoja in 2006 and the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo Abuja in 2013,” Lamorde wrote.
“The Lokoja case was stalled for six years on the account of frivolous interlocutory applications by the accused person, which has taken us twice to the Supreme Court and eventually decided in the commission’s favour on November 23, 2012.
“The trial effectively continued in 2013 with the filing of fresh charges in Abuja. Eight prosecution witnesses have so far given evidence and 166 exhibits tendered at the proceedings, while the case adjourned till 14th October 2015 for continuation of trial.
“We are genuinely concerned that the trial will be suspended for another four years if Prince Audu emerges as Kogi State Governor, similar to the situation of Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State.
“While not being unmindful of the constitutional presumption of innocence of all accused persons until proven guilty, we are nevertheless greatly concerned that swearing in of another accused person as Executive Governor in Nigeria may not be in consonance with the current anti-corruption policy of the new administration”.
The SGF were said to have immediately written to the national secretariat of the APC the following day, urging it to take “necessary action”.
In a letter dated September 22, 2015, referenced SGF.30/S.11/T, the SGF said “I wish to forward the attached document from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on the above subject matter for your information and action”.
