Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, 2019 presidential candidate, on Tuesday declared that
there is nothing wrong with the EFCC prosecuting the immediate past Senate
President, Bukola Saraki for alleged corruption but warned that this must not
be done as a persecution.
Atiku pointed out that Saraki,
who led his 2019 presidential campaign, is one of the most investigated
politicians in Nigeria, who has been investigated and prosecuted all the way to
the Supreme Court without being found guilty.
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, recently disclosed it was investigating Saraki’s stewardship
during his period as the governor of Kwara State and the Senate President.
“Let it be stated in unequivocal
terms that the investigation of Saraki’s stewardship, whether as a former
Senate President or as a former governor of Kwara State, has absolutely nothing
to do with the non-confirmation of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as the substantive Chairman
of the EFCC,” the Commission had said in a statement.
However, the former Vice
President observed that the current probe of Saraki “tends towards
persecution.”
In a post on his Facebook wall,
Atiku wrote: “Ordinarily, there is nothing wrong in prosecuting immediate past
Senate President, @bukolasaraki. He, himself, has indicated his preparedness to
have his day in court. We, however, hope that he will indeed be PROSECUTED and
not PERSECUTED.
“I stand against corruption in
government, which was why my office personally facilitated the take-off of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission with a loan, after that most important
anti-corruption institution was founded by then President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“However, there is a huge
difference between prosecution and persecution. I am all for prosecuting the
corrupt, but I believe it is wrong to use the instruments of state to persecute
political opponents.
“Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the
immediate past Senate President, is one of the most investigated politicians in
Nigeria. He has been investigated and prosecuted all the way to the Supreme
Court and has prevailed against his accusers. It was expected that that should
have been the end of the matter.
“However, the revival of
previously investigated cases, and the fact that Dr. Saraki was politically
opposed to the administration of General Muhammadu Buhari seems to give strong
grounds for objective bystanders to conclude that his current travails have
gone beyond prosecution and are now tending towards prosecution.
“The laws of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria are made for all and we fought for democracy so that the powers of
the state would not be used to suborn tyranny and oppression.
“In the instance, I urge Dr.
Bukola Saraki to stand firm and take solace in the fact Nigerians still hold
the constitution higher than any other authority.
“I urge all Nigerians, and
especially those tasked with upholding the constitution and the laws of the
land, to note that silence in the face of oppression is akin to acquiescence.
I, Atiku Abubakar, will always stand up for the constitution and Nigeria.”
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