Senate Presidency: Don’t Support Aspirants with Corruption Cases, Group Tells Tinubu

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

A group, Policy Advocacy and Integrity Network Nigeria has urged the president-elect, Mr. Bola Tinubu not to support any aspirant who has a corruption case for the office of the Senate Presidency.

It said this was to ensure that his administration does not take off with the blight of putting alleged corrupt personalities in high offices.
The group in a statement issued yesterday, by its Executive Director, Josh Mesele, said the advice became necessary in view of the invitation letter allegedly extended to one of the aspirants by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The anti-graft agency had last week summoned the former Minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio to appear before it on March 29, 2023.
But, Akpabio through his lawyers had written back pleading for more time to be able to be able to attend to his health abroad.

But the group insisted that Tinubu must be wary of who he supports for the positions of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
It said: “We at Policy Advocacy and Integrity Network Nigeria think it expedient to advise the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be wary of who to support for the position of the Presidency of the Senate or even the Speakership of House of Representatives.

“This is to ensure that his administration does not take off with the blight of putting corrupt personalities in those high offices.

“If an aspirant is being invited here and there by the anti-corruption agencies, the onus is on such an aspirant to get himself or herself exonerated before throwing hats into the ring. That is the correct moral step to take,” it added.