* Every evil in Nigeria is caused by corruption – Magu
By Kemi Kasumu, General Editor
If the appeal on Thursday by Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to track the sources of funds that will be spent by politicians and political parties in the coming general elections is taken serious and acted upon, dark days may already be lurking on the looters who converted the nation’s wealth into dollars and have persistently hoarded same to enable them oust President Muhammadu Buhari from power at the elections for “disturbing them from carrying on with their business as usual”.
The DEFENDER in some of its editorial contents in the past has never failed to analyze how looters sacked by Nigerian masses in the March 28, 2015 national elections had resolved to convert their loots into dollars and keep jealously away from the reach of the anti-corruption government so that come 2019, they will use same funds to fight the government and then return to power.
It is as a result of the plots that, according to our investigations, many security challenges the nation has witnessed since the defeat of Boko Haram have been occurring even though, it was further gathered, the same people who are responsible for the violent situation are the sponsors but now using tricks of many faces to make it look like it is the failure of government.
Per adventure due to intelligence reports or self-investigations carried by INEC, the electoral umpire on Thursday made a very bold statement, which if the EFCC takes serious, will help the Nigerian masses retain their resolve of 2015 which, for the first time, made them have a say in how the person that would be their President would emerge.
It would be recalled that the 2015 presidential election remains celebrated as,since June 12, 1993 election of MKO Abiola, the first time in 25 years that Nigerian masses had the chance of selecting their President. That was the first time the INEC decided to be part of the process for Change by ensuring transparency at election, which worked.
The INEC Chairman, Yakubu, made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja while receiving the acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on a visit to the commission.
Prof. Yakubu said: “INEC is worried by the recent trend of open vote buying at polling stations. Only votes of citizens should determine who wins election. Our democracy must never be on sale, it is the will of the people that should determine who wins. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I look forward to working very closely with the EFCC to ensure that open vote buying will not be tolerated by the commission.
“The second area is about party and campaign finance. The Electoral Act presents limit as to the amount parties and individuals can spend for election and also the amount that friends of candidates and parties can contribute in any election.”
“I want the EFCC to uphold that mandate in every capacity to track and to trace sources of funds and to work closely with us. Our democracy can never be on sale and by working closely with the EFCC we can achieve that.”
In his remarks, the EFCC acting chairman called Nigerians to fight corruption in any way they can, saying “every evil in Nigeria is caused by corruption.”
Mr. Magu said EFCC was collaborating with INEC on a series of investigation and prosecution.
