2023: Buhari won’t back aspirants under EFCC’s investigation – Presidency

Presidency sources told The AUTHORITY that President Buhari is worried about reports that some persons being  investigated for allegedly stealing public funds could end up leading APC, a party that promised Nigerians to fight corruption.

At least six of the aspirants are former governors, and have one time or the other been grilled by the EFCC for allegedly misappropriating public funds under their stewardship. Some of them have not been formally charged by the anti-graft agency.

This development has fuelled anxiety among APC faithful.

They fear that electing candidates on the EFCC watchlist would inevitably pose a dilemma for the agency, as the EFCC would be bound by political considerations to discontinue investigations.

The sources said President Buhari was unhappy with media reports that his government was backing corrupt people, and would use the upcoming APC national convention to prove them wrong.

Speaking exclusively with The AUTHORITY, Convener of the APC Coalition for Free Speech, Comrade Bologi Ndanusa, said it was laughable that a party that promised Nigerians “change” and a break from the past was still toying with the idea of bringing back the same erstwhile PDP chieftains who ruined Nigeria to lead APC.

He stated that “most of the six aspirants under EFCC investigation were at one time or the other neck-deep in the PDP”, stressing, “we don’t want people “who run with the hare and hunts with the hounds.”

Noted Bologi, “we shouldn’t project ourselves as a party of fraudsters.

“We rode into power on the mantra of change. Change from the past. Change from PDP. Nigerians believed us and gave us that trust. Why should we breach that trust by going back in time to bring back the same PDP people who created the same problems we are trying to solve?

“Take a look at the credentials of those aspiring to lead our great party. Aside one or two of them, they are a pack of ravenous wolves coming to use the office of the APC national chairman to shield selves from inevitable prosecution for the monies they stole as governor.

“Does it mean we can’t do better? Are we so short in the supply of men of character that we have to go back to our vomit to pick candidates that would lead us.

“What are we going to tell Nigerians: that the same person  we said ruined the country are now back to lead us in APC? God forbid!” he remarked.

The youth leader equally frowned at the chairmanship aspiration of the senator representing Niger-East Senatorial Zone and sponsor of the controversial ‘Protection from Internet Falsehoods and Manipulation and Other Related Matters Bill, 2019’ popularly known as “Anti-Social Media” bill, Sani Musa, who is also in the race.

Bologi said it was morally wrong for Sani, who he said sought to muzzle free speech to turn around to ride on the back of the same free speech to lead the largest party in Africa.

“Look at the way the opposition PDP conducted their national convention. They went back in time to bring original founders of the party to lead them.

“Look at Modu Sheriff and Yuguda. We’ve lost count on the number of times these rolling stones changed party.”