The Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has called for the removal of Ola Olukoyede as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, citing gross incompetence.
CUPP expressed disappointment with the EFCC’s handling of corruption allegations against former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
In a statement, CUPP criticized the EFCC’s “clueless” leadership, noting that Olukoyede’s background as a legal practitioner is not sufficient for the role.
They argued that the EFCC’s chairman should be a senior police or security agency officer.
The CUPP condemned the EFCC’s recent controversies, including human rights abuses and disregard for due processes.
They urged President Bola Tinubu to sack Olukoyede and appoint a seasoned security professional to revitalize the anti-corruption fight.
CUPP said: “It is with utmost disappointment that the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has viewed the ongoing drama between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
“We are aware that there has been some inexplicable back-and-forth between the EFCC and the former Governor for some months now, which has generated considerable public interest across Nigeria. Not a few Nigerians have been eager to see the day that the former Governor would be brought in to defend the allegations of humongous corruption allegations leveled against him by the antigraft agency.
“A smart and intelligent head of a security agency like the EFCC would have tactically taken the former Governor into custody without much ado.
”But, clearly, the current leadership of the EFCC is totally clueless about the masterful art of intelligent policing. An agency like the EFCC is way above his training as a legal practitioner.
“When the current chairman of the EFCC was appointed, many legal pundits pointed out that the office of EFCC’s chairman should legally be occupied by a serving or retired senior police or any security agency officer.
”All those observations fell on the government’s deaf ears. The result has been the reversal of the gains made in the past on the anticorruption efforts of successive governments since the current leadership of the EFCC took office.
“If you couldn’t arrest the former Governor in the presence of his predecessor, why send armed operatives to the official abode of the same sitting governor to start shooting in the middle of the night under the guise of you wanting to effect the arrest of someone who had earlier made himself available to you.
“incident could have ended fatally with serious consequences for our democracy. It would have overheated the polity beyond control.
“There is no excuse valid enough in the world for committing those two errors of judgment by the EFCC. First, you let the man you declared wanted get away from your premises under a very suspicious game plan.
“Secondly, you later mobilized at night to go and effect arrest of the same man. EFCC needs to come out and tell Nigerians what they are hiding and their real interest and intentions on this matter.
“Everything looks suspect on this matter. Since Mr Olukoyede took over as EFCC chairman, it has been one controversy or the other. If it is not about EFCC operatives committing gross human rights abuses against Nigerians, it would be arrogant disrespect for due processes and court orders.
“With this kind of leadership, the EFCC will remain handicapped to effectively fight corruption. It is in this regard that we sincerely feel that if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is truly desirous of fighting corruption in the country, the current EFCC chairman should be sacked immediately and a real professional senior security officer from any of the real security agencies appointed as replacement.”
