An Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has given the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission a seven days notice to summon serving ministers and All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirants.
The lawyer said the anti-graft agencies must summon the ministers and other government officials who have picked up bogus APC 2023 nomination forms to explain the source of funding as their salaries for four years combined can’t afford such exorbitant fees charged by the ruling party.
Olajengbesi, who is the Principal Partner at Abuja-based law firm, Law Corridor, warned the EFCC and the ICPC that failure to summon the APC aspirants and serving government officials after seven days would attract a lawsuit.
He said the lawsuit would be instituted at the Federal High Court in Abuja and would be followed up to a logical conclusion to rid the political system of corruption.
Olajengbesi, in a statement on Friday, said, “The APC is promoting the same corruption that it is claiming to fight with the outrageous cost of nomination and expression of interest forms. One is not even surprised, after all, President Muhammadu Buhari has found nothing wrong in the pardon of two former governors convicted of stealing billions of naira. APC reeks of corruption.
“By this statement, I put the EFCC and the ICPC on notice to summon and probe all APC aspirants who double as government officials who have purchased the outrageous nomination forms. Be it governors, ministers, every one of them must explain the source of their funding and must be duly vetted by the anti-graft agencies.
“Taxpayers’ monies must not be siphoned into the pursuit of selfish ambitions by individuals who do not have the interest of common Nigerians at heart.
“I will be instituting legal action against the EFCC and the ICPC at the expiration of seven days beginning from today, April 30, 2022, upon the failure of the two anti-graft agencies to live up to their responsibilities and probe all these government officials.”
APC had days ago pegged the cost of its nomination and expression of interest forms for the presidential election at N100 million, N50 million for governorship, N20m for Senatorial and N10m for federal house of representatives.
Already, Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; amongst others have picked up the forms while others are expected to follow suit in the coming days. They include Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi; former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha; former Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu; amongst others jostling to be the flagbearer at the end of the APC presidential primary scheduled to hold at the end of May 2022.
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