Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, says the trial of Raymond Dokpesi, former chairman of Daar Communications PLC, has shown the “lopsided” nature of President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption.
On Thursday, the court of appeal in Abuja discharged and acquitted Dokpesi of corruption allegations brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He was alleged to have received N2.1 billion from the office of the national security adviser (ONSA) between October 2014 and March 2015, during the tenure of Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser.
In a statement on Friday by Paul Ibe, Atiku’s spokesperson, the former vice-president noted that the EFCC is focused on prosecuting opposition leaders, while it is indifferent to members of the ruling party.
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“The entire anti-corruption trials appear to be focused on opposition politicians, thereby casting doubts on the credibility of the anti-graft agency,” Atiku said.
The former vice-president, however, congratulated Abdulrasheed Bawa, the EFCC chairman, on his appointment and urged him to learn from the mistakes of his predecessors.
“As a young man of great intellect and confidence, I’m confident that you are up to the task. You must be ready to restore the glory of the EFCC by changing its public perception as a political tool of the government in power,” he said.
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“Let your conscience and history judge you. But you can only do so if you resist external manipulation. May Allah guide you aright.”
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