The Accord Party has asked Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to resign over the agency’s
freezing of the Osun state government’s bank account.
BACKGROUND
On Wednesday, the EFCC said it froze the state government’s
bank accounts over alleged fraudulent handling of funds.
The anti-graft agency said it had been investigating the
government since March, adding that some officials, including the
accountant-general, had been interviewed by its investigators.
The commission said it observed huge transfers from the
accounts into different corporate entities since August 2 amid the probe.
But in a statement on Thursday, Kolapo Alimi, commissioner
for information and public enlightenment, faulted the EFCC’s account,
describing it as an attempt to cover up an illegal action through unfounded
allegations.
On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu directed the EFCC to immediately vacate the freeze order on Osun bank accounts.
‘NO SACRED COW IN QUEST TO SANITISE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION’
Speaking on Friday at a press conference in Abuja, Maxwell
Mgbudem, national chairman of the Accord Party, said Tinubu should remove
Olukoyede if he refuses to step down.
Mgbudem said that the EFCC leadership had lost the
confidence of the party after freezing the Osun state government account.
He said the agency violated the 1999 constitution and
overstepped its statutory responsibilities.
The Accord Party chairman commended Tinubu for directing the
anti-graft agency to reverse the freeze on the state’s account, stressing that
the intervention halted a further descent into lawlessness.
He said the EFCC had brought “the nation to ridicule and
disrepute before the international community”.
“Accordingly, Accord demands the immediate resignation of
the EFCC chairman,” Mgbudem said.
“For embarrassing the president, the party, the government
and people of Osun state and fellow citizens. The EFCC chairman should toe the
path of honour and tender his resignation. If he fails to resign, President
Tinubu should sack him immediately to restore the integrity of the anti-graft
agency. There should be no sacred cow in the quest to sanitise the
anti-corruption commission in particular, and the democratic system in
general.”
The Accord Party chairman said the party commended Tinubu’s
intervention on the incident.
He also urged security agencies, anti-graft bodies, and the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adhere to their statutory
responsibilities and democratic ethics.
Mgbudem asked the president and Tunji Disu,
inspector-general of police (IGP), to secure the release of the remaining 60
members of Accord Party detained in Abuja, Osun and Nasarawa states.
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