Ahead of next month’s presidential election, a legal practitioner, Sir Obunike Ohaegbu has petitioned the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (NDLEA) and Inspector General of Police (IGP), urging the arrest and investigation of candidates of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi over alleged corruption.
Recall that, former aide of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, Michael Achimugu, alleged that the former Vice President and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo siphoned public funds during their tenure through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).
Consequently, APC Presidential Campaign Council (APCC), Festus Keyamo called for the arrest and prosecution of Atiku.
A member of the PDP, Barr Ohaegbu, who supported Keyamo’s position requested that Tinubu and Obi should also be arrested and prosecuted for their alleged involvement in corrupt practices.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Thursday, the legal practitioner said the arrest of Tinubu and Obi will help sanitise the political system.
In a petition addressed to EFCC, ICPC, CCB, IGP and NDLEA, dated 19th January, 2023 made available to journalists, Barr Ohaegbu said he supported the petition submitted by Keyamo, requesting that “it should be expanded to include the other two major candidates in the forthcoming 2023 General Elections.”
The petitioner said Nigerians deserve to know the truth about the alleged connection between 70 years old Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu of Lagos state and 85 years Lamidi Amoda Sangodele from Iragbiji in Osun state.
“Nigerians deserve to know if both are one and the same person. That would also clear some issues concerning the primary and secondary schools he attended and consequentially resolve the puzzles surrounding his schools certificates,” he added.
The petition read in part: “Investigation on the allegation of conviction of drug related crimes in the United States also needs to be made and Nigerians promptly informed of steps taken to investigate the allegation. The Nigerian voters deserve to know if he actually forfeited the of $460,000 to the United States of America for his convictions on Narcotics Trafficking and money laundering in the United States.
“Your investigation will disclose to Nigerians at what point the Lagos State Government was divested of her interests in the choice properties and at what terms? 5. The allegation of using Alpha Beta as the SPV for Tax Consultancy while serving as the Governor of Lagos.
“The maintenance of Domiciliary Accounts while serving as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria despite the express provisions in the Code of Conduct for Public Officers. These concerns are more worrisome as there are strong allegations that the accounts through which monies were forfeited in the drug prosecution case in the USA remained active even when he was the Governor of Lagos State.”
On Peter Obi, Ohaegbu charged the concerned agencies to investigate allegation of allocation of Anambra State land to a company belonging to his family, SABmiller Nigeria Ltd, the producers of hero beer and the investment of over $20m (twenty million dollars) equivalent to about N13billion in the same company when the company allegedly had financial challenges to start productions.
The petition further asked the agencies to investigate, “Allegations that choice lands were appropriated from the state and given to Shoprite Conglomerates in Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi because he had family investments in the company,” among others.
