Buhari should hand public officers over to EFCC - PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the sack of Alhaji Babachir Lawal, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and Amb. Ayo Oke, the former Director-General of Nigerian Intelligent Agency (NIA).

The party made its position known in a statement signed by Mr Dayo Adeyeye, the Publicity Secretary of its National Caretaker Committee, in Abuja on Monday.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday terminated the appointments of Lawal and Oke, who were initially suspended for proper investigation by a panel headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

It stated that Nigerians had waited patiently for the president’s reaction on the “humongous act of corruption” by two of his principal aides.

“We totally reject these actions and the law should follow its full course on the issues of these officers.

“In other words, their case should be referred to the EFCC for proper investigation and trial, more so when the president has not told us what the findings were.

“Nigerians are entitled to know the findings of the panel’s report headed by the Vice President.

“The report should be made public since it is the people’s money that is involved.”

PDP stated that ordinarily, cases of corruption or alleged cases of misappropriation of funds were supposed to be referred to institutions that were saddled with the responsibility to investigate and prosecute such.

The party added that Lawal and Oke should be investigated by anti-graft agencies as it was done in the case of Sambo Dasuki and others facing trails on corruption-related allegations.

“This is an impeachable offence. So, the president cannot just sack Oke and Lawal and expects us to be clapping for him.

“We believe that we are operating under a democracy and a constitution that governs our affairs.

“To have subjected these people to different sets of rule and treatment is totally unacceptable.

“Nigerians are the same under the law and Babachir Lawal and Ayo Oke should not be tried by the Presidency while others are hounded by the EFCC and ICPC.”