The Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum has expressed strong displeasure at the spate of harassment of its members by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, charging President Muhammadu Buhar to call the anti-corruption agency to order. It spoke through a statement issued by its Chairman and Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko.
The forum said the EFCC cannot interfere with the account of a sitting governor, stressing, it was contrary to Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution. The EFCC had frozen the accounts of the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose. The Forum described the freezing of the personal accounts of Fayose by the EFCC as “gross abuse of the constitution”.
In the statement, the forum averred that if the intention was to suggest any criminal infraction or fraud against the governor, the agency should have sheathed its sword till Fayose vacates office. The constitution shields a sitting governor from investigation and prosecution for criminal breach until the person vacates office.
The forum noted that the country was drifting towards totalitarianism, adding that the account of any individual could only be frozen after a court of competent jurisdiction had so ruled or an interim order by a court of competent jurisdiction was granted to the anti-graft agency.
The PDP and the ruling APC government have been engaged in a running battle fought mainly on the front of ati-corruption with the PDP alleging that the anti-graft fight was lopsided and targeted at its members.
