The All Progressives Grand Alliance has criticised the arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Willie Obiano, the former governor of Anambra State.
The former governor’s arrest was denounced by the party as a “politically motivated witch-hunt,” with the EFCC resorting to the employment of fifth columnists.
Obiano was arrested by the anti-graft agency on Thursday night at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, the day after he was sworn in as Governor of Anambra State.
The National Coordinator of the APGA Media Warriors Forum, Evang Chinedu Obigwe, told journalists in Awka on Saturday that the charge that the former governor looted N42 billion, of which N37 billion was used to pay political activities, was baseless and without merit.
The EFCC’s efforts to tarnish Obiano’s hard-won reputation, according to Obigwe, would fail because he remains innocent until found guilty by a competent court of law.
He claimed that Nigerians no longer have faith in the anti-graft agency, claiming that “when they see the real corrupt politicians joining APC, they would turn to toothless bulldogs.
“But when an opposition figure is involved they will be barking as if the person committed any crime whereas they are doing the evil bidding of their paymasters.”
He said, “EFCC, as usual, has resorted to the use of fifth columnists for the media trial of Obiano. This is evidence showing that they are executing a politically motivated witch hunt plot against him.
“How can you deny last year that you were not aware that Obiano was placed on EFCC watch list only for you now to come in March and be claiming that he has been on your watch list for a long time.
“As a former governor, Obiano was finishing his tenure, EFCC did not deem it necessary to extend an invitation to him to visit their office at the end of his tenure for interrogation.
“In the absence of an invitation from the EFCC, you don’t expect him not to travel out of the country to go and enjoy a well-deserved rest. I don’t agree with the claim that Obiano was running out of the country before EFCC arrested him.
“He was living his normal life and going about his normal business because he has no skeleton in his cupboard. Assuming EFCC extended an invitation to him and he refused to go, it will be a different issue.
“If EFCC claims that he enjoyed immunity while he was governor, they should have extended an invitation to him and made it clear to him that they want him to report to their office immediately after handing over to his successor. Had it been the agency did this, Obiano will honour their invitation.
“Another funny thing is that EFCC did not use the same yardstick they are using to measure Obiano on other former governors, especially those that joined APC for the purpose of escaping prosecution.
“APGA as a party says no to EFCC media trial of former governor Obiano because injustice to one is an injustice to all.”
