5 Things President can do with rejected EFCC Chairman
Rejecting Magu as EFCC boss isn't the end of the world for President Buhari. He has a few options up his sleeve
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If you believe the Senate, Magu is just too corrupt to fight corruption.
This is some mess only President Muhammadu Buhari can clean up.
Here are five things the President can do with a Chairman rejected by parliament:
1. Buhari could actually stick with his disgraced EFCC boss and ask the National Assembly members to go f... themselves.
Especially because the National Assembly is the last place you go to when looking for non-corrupt persons, anyway.
So, Buhari can carry on like yesterday never happened.
He was given those executive powers for a reason.
ALSO READ: The security report that sank EFCC Chairman
Or...
2. The President can return to the Senate with some kind of peace offering and on bended knees; in a bid to persuade the lawmakers to reconsider its earlier rejection of Magu and confirm this guy.
It's called subtle diplomacy.
This option could really work, you know.
It will mean asking President Muhammadu Buhari to swallow his pride and return to parliament, bearing a broad smile and ready to deal.
You and I know that Buhari hates swallowing his pride.
Which takes us to...
3. Buhari can wait this out for as long as he wants.
EFCC bosses are appointed to see out a four-year renewable term. Magu got this job in 2015.
If Buhari wants to play hardball with the national assembly guys, he can ask them to keep their confirmation and continue with asking Magu to go after the likes of Dasuki, Diezani, Babachir Lawal, Ekweremadu and Saraki, with renewed vigour.
But if you are sincere with the anti-corruption battle, the last thing you want is to have a tainted character leading the line.
That leaves Buhari with...
4. Flogging Magu in his office before firing him.
There are times when Buhari has cut the picture of a school headmaster.
Now is the time to show Magu who is boss, then.
Fire this guy, baba.
Fire him so bad no one will want to hire him to fight corruption again in the whole wide world.
But see enh, Buhari hasn't fired Tukur Buratai, Abba Kyari, Babachir Lawal or Rotimi Amaechi...so firing Magu is a long, long shot.
The odds of Magu getting fired are really that massive.
Fat chance.
That leaves Baba with...
5. Sticking to the law.
The constitution doesn't expressly state that all nominations from the President have to be approved by parliament.
In other words, heavens won't fall if Buhari ignores the Senators this one time.
He actually could, you know, and take Magu to Ibiza for a decent time out of the firing line.
If the President presents Magu's name three times and the Senators reject Magu three times, the law says Buhari can then go on to make Magu his substantive EFCC chairman.
The President possesses prerogative powers. Lawmakers can only bark, but can't bite in this instance. And we are here to tell them that.
Confirmation of a President's nominee is simply procedural in nature.
There are parameters to be met by Senators before turning down a President's nomination.
Did the Senators meet those parameters? We'll let some hard-nosed, angry Lawyers help us figure that out.
So, there you have it, Buhari--the court, the ball and the trigger are really all yours.
We are out!
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