The
Senate caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused one of the
national leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed
Tinubu, of working in cahoots with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) to destroy the senate by impugning
the integrity of members of the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
The
PDP Senate caucus, which has indicated its readiness for a showdown with
Tinubu, also alleged that the former governor of Lagos State was behind the
series of media attacks against members of the caucus.
This
was part of the outcome of their meeting in Abuja, convened by the leadership
of the PDP caucus last weekend to review what they regarded as “onslaught” by
the EFCC against members of the group.
At
the meeting, members of the caucus were said to have come to a conclusion that
the anti-corruption agency was acting in concert with Tinubu, who they alleged
was bent on destroying some key elements in the National Assembly in order to
clear the way for his 2019 ambition.
The
former governor had recently said he would not rule out his presidential bid
should President Muhammadu Buhari decide not to run.
A
source at the caucus meeting said the senators noted the “constant bashing and
campaign of calumny” launched against the Senate by a prominent national daily
and a frontline television station, believed to be owned by the former
governor, as an example of the on-going
underground war being waged against the Senate as an institution.
The
senators at the meeting were also said to have cited the attack on the Senate
leadership and other members in recent time by the same media outfits as
examples of how, “it is obvious that Tinubu just wanted to destroy us.”
The
source said the caucus also noted “the savage” attack on Sen. Peter Nwaboshi,
because he moved a motion on the refusal of the executive to respect Senate
resolutions, and drew a parallel between the recent travail of Sen. Dino Melaye
and some of their other colleagues.”
While
Nwaboshi was recently reported to have been under the investigation of the EFCC
over contract allegedly awarded to him
in his home State, Delta, Melaye was accused of not being a Geography graduate
of Ahmadu Bello University, though he has now been exonerated by a Senate
panel. Also recently, there were reports
of a leaked EFCC letter to the President linking the Senate President to
alleged diversion of London-Paris Club refund.
The
PDP caucus meeting, THISDAY learnt, also reviewed a statement credited to the
Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, believed to
be a close ally of Tinubu, who recently at a meeting in Lagos allegedly
threatened that the “Senators will see hell in the coming weeks as fresh
attacks will be launched against their integrity”.
It
is therefore the belief of the PDP Senators that supporters of the former
governor are behind the planned protest against the Senate.
The
protest being orchestrated by certain groups in Abuja and Lagos is scheduled to
hold on Wednesday.
“We
will expose them. They were not happy that Senators supported President
Muhammadu Buhari, when he was away. They thought we will help them bring down
the government because of their ambition.
“Now
they are deploying the EFCC and their media against us. Ibrahim Magu is a
creation of Tinubu and Oba Akiolu. They want to use him to protect themselves
while also using him and the anti-graft agency as attack dogs against people,
who are not in their camp.
“That
is why when EFCC received petitions against the head of a federal revenue
generation agency into whose personal account some money due to government was
paid, the anti-graft agency refused to act. The head of the agency concerned
had held similar position he is holding now in Lagos. It was the Independent
Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) that is
eventually pursuing the case now,” the PDP caucus member said.
Other
revelations at the meeting include the allegation that the chief of staff of
the acting EFCC boss was nominated by a popular lawyer who they described as
the former governor’s alter ego and effectively the arrow-head of the Tinubu
legal group.
Another
source at the meeting hinted THISDAY that the lawmakers were bent on going
public with their allegations soon and openly fight back by confronting the APC
chieftain. PDP senators have equally fixed another meeting for next Tuesday,
the source added.
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