THE Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has dismissed allegations that President Bola Tinubu is using the Commission to target members of opposition parties.
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday monitored by News Point Nigeria, Olukoyede described the claims as a ploy to distract the President from “the good work he is doing.”
According to him, the President’s primary concern is how the heads of key ministries and government agencies are delivering on their mandates.
“I think Nigerians should appreciate the kind of president we have at this time, and I am being serious about it. It is not because I am occupying this position. Anyone who would be sincere, particularly those who work with Mr President, those who are members of Federal Executive Council, those who are heading agencies, ministries and department, any time you see Mr President, the body language is ‘look, what have you done?’ ‘How much have you recovered?’
“The man doesn’t have time for this issue, people are just trying to distract the government, they are just trying to distract the working president. Those who are close to him will tell you he doesn’t want to hear anything apart from the performance,” Olukoyede said.
Responding to another accusation that the EFCC uses its powers to silence dissenting voices—particularly from opposition parties—Olukoyede said the Commission’s record of high-profile cases suggests otherwise.
He added that more members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have been prosecuted than those from the opposition.
“If you check the statistics of our work, the area of investigation, prosecution, particularly high-profile case, you will perhaps find more members of the ruling party, some of the cases we have done. So, we must be judged fairly.”
The EFCC Chair added that it would be an injustice for the Commission to avoid investigating and prosecuting opposition members simply because of what critics might say.
“You will find prominent members of the ruling party as part of the people we have investigated and filed charges against. So, for us to close our eyes to people who perhaps are not members of the ruling political party will be unfair to us and will be an injustice on,” he said.
Olukoyede also addressed concerns about internal corruption within the EFCC, revealing that 27 staff members have been dismissed for various infractions since he assumed office.
He explained that the dismissals were necessary because everyone involved in the fight against corruption must operate from a position of integrity, adding that without it, meaningful progress is nearly impossible.
