The
Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL has queried the propriety of the choice
of the two governorship candidates by the All Progressives Congress in Kogi and
Bayelsa States.
This came on the heels of the recent
emergence of former Governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu and former
Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Timipre Sylva as candidates of the All Progressives
Congress governorship elections scheduled to hold in Kogi and Bayelsa States on
21st November, 2015 and 5th December, 2015 respectively.
All Progressives Congress’s candidate
for the Kogi State governorship election, Prince Abubakar Audu’s public records
is that of a man that has been described in many derogatory adjectives ever
since he left office as governor in 2003. It is well documented that he has
been hurled severally before several judges and on various issues. Mr. Audu was
recently being prosecuted by the anti-graft agency, EFCC, of misappropriating
N11 billion of the state’s funds while he was governor between 1999 and 2003.
Mr. Sylva was also docked alongside
his co-accused in July 2014 for allegedly using three companies to siphon funds
from Bayelsa state treasury between 2009 and 2012. A fresh
plea over a six-count criminal charge was filed against him by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. He is said to be facing trial over the allegation
that he masterminded the illegal diversion of funds from the Bayelsa State
treasury while in power. He was specifically accused of siphoning over N6.5
billion from the Bayelsa State treasury between October 2009 and February 2010.
Reacting to this development on
behalf of the Coalition, its Executive Chairman, Comrade Debo Adeniran has
expressed his total disagreement and has frowned at the choice of the ruling
party’s governorship candidates. He said, “The two
candidates being presented by the ruling party in the two states are standing
trial for corruption and we don’t think the party should allow those who have
not discharged themselves of baggages of corruption to contest election, let
alone win election. That would mean that they are allowing a danger that has
been foreseen to cause catastrophe because, if they have not discharged themselves
of corruption charges on account of their first term in office, they ought not
to be allowed to cause further damage.
“Their
integrity is still doubtful; so why should we allow them to go into the same
office where we cannot be sure whether or not they are going to govern with
integrity?” Thus, their openly expressed desire to
seek a come back to the state Government House as governor, should be
considered a misplaced effrontery.
Speaking further, Adeniran stressed
that no sustainable democratic culture could be established as long as our No.
1 enemy, corruption, thrives. This is why CACOL and other anti-corruption
institutions and organizations should not relent but remain in the vanguard of
the fight against this seemingly untamable monster that had overtime assumed
the overbearing status of an albatross that has constantly been terrifying the
very existence of this nation by preventing corrupt elements from assuming
political positions.
We believe that President Buhari, as a
leader in the ruling party and one acknowledged to be a no-nonsense man on
issues of corruption, cannot afford to be neither be too deaf nor blind to the
long list of Audu Abubakar’s and Timipere Sylva past allegations. We also
believe he would want to be taken seriously on his recent declaration to the
world that his fight against corruption is not a respecter of political
affiliation. “If you have reasons to fraternize with corrupt elements
and you know deep down in your heart that such people are corrupt, then you
don’t have to pander to the dictates of such class of people. The President
needs to take up the toga of a revolutionary to be able to win the war,
Adeniran added.
We would want to conclude, concerning
this issue, that we are not oblivious of similar practice in some other
political parties. The emergence of Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP as Ekiti State governor in the last gubernatorial election in the state is
another reference point. It’s on record that several charges, ranging from
financial impropriety to murder, remained unresolved for over eight years after
leaving office in his first stanza as the state governor, up till today.
Therefore, our position on this anomaly should be seen and perceived by all
concerned from a generalized view-point.
Temitope
Macjob
Acting Media Officer, CACOL
23rd
September, 2015.
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