Defection No Shield Against Prosecution, FG Warns Amid Corruption Allegations

The Federal Government has insisted that joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will not shield current or former political office holders from ongoing corruption investigations or prosecution.

Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, issued the warning on Friday in a statement released by his media aide, Kamarudeen Ogundele. He reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the rule of law, declaring that the administration will not compromise its anti-corruption stance.

The AGF was responding to recent claims made by Paul Ibe, spokesperson for former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, during a national television interview. Ibe alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman and the Solicitor General of the Federation met secretly with an incumbent and former South-South governor, just 48 hours before their defection to the APC.

“However, we wish to state categorically that the allegation is from the pit of hell, and at best, a figment of imagination of Mr Ibe.

We know as a fact that the EFCC chairman and the Solicitor General of the Federation never met any serving or former governor as alleged by him,” the AGF said.

He described the accusation as “contemptuous”, noting that even though Ibe did not name the governors, “discerning members of the public know those he could have been referring to.”

The AGF urged the public to dismiss the insinuation, calling it a “feeble attempt to discredit” the government’s anti-corruption campaign.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will continue to uphold the rule of law and will not falter in the fight against corruption no matter whose ox is gored,” the statement added.

In a separate rebuttal, the EFCC through its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, also dismissed Ibe’s claims, calling them “patently fabricated and in bad taste.”

“Olukoyede has stressed it at several fora that he is apolitical and the EFCC totally wired against partisan tendencies.

The public is enjoined to disregard the alleged meeting with the unnamed governor as it only exists in the imagination of Ibe,” the anti-graft agency stated.

The joint denials come amid rising public scrutiny over defections to the APC by politicians previously under investigation.