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Why Buhari may not intervene in confirmation of Magu as EFCC boss

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Days after the Senate outrightly rejected the confirmation of the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, new facts have emerged on factors responsible.

Findings by Ripples Nigeria have revealed that Magu’s fate may have been sealed by a combination of issues that played out against him, also prompting President Muhammadu Buhari to adopt a nonchalant attitude towards his case.

While presidency watchers claim that Buhari’s aloofness in the Magu case is a measure of his commitment to the principle of separation of powers, insiders allege that his ‘cold’ approach is largely a result of his discomfort with the way Vice President Yemi Osinbajo seized the initiative. Tied to this is the strong rumour that Bola Tinubu’s ‘connection’ to the push for Magu may also have influenced Buhari’s ‘sidon-look’ attitude.

Outside Mr President’s disposition, the twin factor of former governors currently serving as Senators, as well as a crack in the kitchen cabinet of President Buhari, are held to have played significant roles in the Magu saga.

Sources familiar with the case say that former governors and deputies, who are facing one form of fraud trial or another, convinced others to use the infamous report of the Department of State Services (DSS) as an excuse to disqualify Magu.

The Senate on Thursday, relying on a report submitted to it by Lawal Daura-led DSS, declined to confirm Magu as the substantive chairman of EFCC. The contents of the report is yet to be made public by the Senate or the DSS.

Currently, there are about 20 former governors and former deputy governors who are Senators in the Eight Senate. Out of this figure, more than half are either facing trial or under investigation by the EFCC.

The Senators who once served as governors are Bukola Saraki of Kwara, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano, Kabiru Gaya of Kano, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Theodore Orji of Abia, Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa, Sam Egwu of Ebonyi, Shaaba Lafiagi of Kwara, Joshua Dariye and Jonah Jang both of Plateau, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto, Ahmed Sani Yarima of Zamfara, Danjuma Goje of Gombe, Bukar Abba Ibrahim of Yobe, Adamu Aliero of Kebbi, George Akume of Benue and Isiaka Adeleke of Osun.

Former deputy governors in the Senate are Mrs Biodun Olujimi of Ekiti and Enyinaya Harcourt Abaribe of Abia. Danladi Abubakar Sani served as the acting governor of Taraba state.

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The rejection move of Magu, which was spearheaded by Saraki, also a former governor currently facing trial, got a boost when the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, announced that the EFCC will soon reopen the trial of former governors who served between 1999 and 2015.

Sources in the Senate told Ripples Nigeria that the ‘association of former governors’ in the Red Chamber saw the announcement as a free ticket to jail and immediately initiated moves to frustrate Magu’s confirmation.

Another factor which many believe worked against Magu was his alleged connivance with AGF in prosecuting the Senate President, over his purported under-declaration of assets when he held sway as governor of Kwara state between 2003 and 2011.

Magu, it was gathered, furnished the Federal Government team with the necessary supporting documents in nailing Saraki. Magu, since he was appointed, has been investigating Saraki’s wife and has on several occasions, invited her for questioning.

For pundits, it is believed that Saraki only took his pound of flesh by reaching an informal deal with a faction of President Buhari’s kitchen cabinet to frustrate Magu’s confirmation.

The Tinubu connection presents even a more interesting scenario. Reports say that suspicions that the former governor of Lagos state, through his surrogate, Femi Falana (SAN) was key in appointing Magu also led to President Buhari’s refusal in intervening to stop the DSS from indicting the EFCC boss.

Sources in the Presidential Villa said Buhari deliberately delayed in sending Magu’s confirmation letter to the Senate. Available facts show that the confirmation letter was sent to the Senate by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo while Buhari was away in London on a 10-day medical leave.

It was gathered that the the letter was written on a Friday, in June, just two days before Buhari returned to Nigeria. The sources said Tinubu, through Falana mounted, pressure on Osinbajo to forward Magu’s name to the Senate.

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According to the source, Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. David Babachir Lawal and DSS boss, Mr. Lawal, were all against Osinbajo’s hurried move to send Magu’s confirmation letter to the Senate, while Buhari was still away.

“They aimed at a fait accompli against the President. If Buhari wanted to give Magu a safe landing, he would have prevailed on DSS to write something favourable. If Buhari wanted him cleared, why did he allow DSS to send the report to the Senate? He allowed it because he did not want Magu confirmed.

“There is another claim that Tinubu’s alleged involvement in the nomination of Magu, led to his unfavourable report by the DSS. Osinbajo’s men mobilized heavily to ensure that he was confirmed,” the source said.

As things stand, Magu’s fate still hangs in the balance as the president is yet to make a move on what he wants to do with Magu.

Analysts however opine that the options open to Buhari would be to set Magu aside and nominate someone else more acceptable to the Senate.

There is also the option of renewing Magu’s acting capacity every six months for as long as the president wants, if the Senate continues to insist it would not confirm Magu as a substantive chairman for the anti-graft agency.

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0 Comments

  1. Margret Dickson

    December 18, 2016 at 10:24 am

    Why is Tinubu so interested in Magu’s confirmation? Oh… he wants to use him for his secrete agenda too. Mr President is wise and he has done what is in the best interest of the Nation by keeping quiet and staying unbothered. ‎

    • Balarabe musa

      December 18, 2016 at 10:56 am

      It is an arrant nonsense to link tinubu to the invalidation of magu. It has no coherent relationship.

  2. Animashaun Ayodeji

    December 18, 2016 at 10:29 am

    If Buhari wants the EFCC to play vital and relevant role in his anti-corruption fight, it is best for him to nominate another person who’s a decision maker and can be trusted. With Osinbajo and Tinubu’s involvement in Magu becoming EFCC chairman, not minding DSS report, it is evident enough that Magu can be manaipulated (if not manipulated already) to favour Tinubu and everything connected to him.

  3. Johnson Amadi

    December 18, 2016 at 11:12 am

    The Senators are being unwise, if a man can probe you people, that shows he’s fearless and he can definitely go after anyone in this country. Locking him out is not the best for the country, we need Magu who’s fearless and ready to serve without being bias.‎

    • Nonso Ezeugo

      December 19, 2016 at 4:48 am

      Yes. magu is a fearless man and he deserve to be heard

  4. JOHNSON PETER

    December 18, 2016 at 12:36 pm

    There is something suspicious about the DSS boss and the senate . why would they hide the details of the letter from public. On no account should executives send nominees to Senate for approval . that’s not an oversight function. Our constitution is faulty. Lawmakers should make law and checkmate excessiveness of the executives not to vet nominees.

    • yanju omotodun

      December 18, 2016 at 1:22 pm

      I fully support you on that. It is an error for lawmakers to scrutinize and approve people to work for the executives. Do the executives approve lawmakers they vote for?
      Sincerely it is absurd. Buhari should choose the people he feels they are right to head government agencies and parastatals without Senate approval. Those lawmakers misuse powers a lot and play politics on approval.

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