The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) summon of former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu to Abuja for trial was an incident waiting to happen. Tinubu was among other charges, alleged to have operated foreign accounts while in office as governor. Group Politics Editor, FRANCIS OTTAH AGBO, writes on the intrigues that necessitated his investigation and the impending legal fire works.
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Political analysts may have divergent views on burning national issues. But one issue they tend to unanimously agree on is that Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, immediate past governor of Lagos State remains a thorn in the flesh of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In 2003, then president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo led the PDP to take over the six states in the South West geo – political zone from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
They are: Lagos; Ondo; Osun; Ogun; Oyo and Ekiti States. The tsunami swept the entire zone with the exception of Tinubu’s Lagos State which proved to be too sophisticated for the rampaging PDP to capture.
When the Obasanjo administration refused to release the statutory funds due to Lagos State, Tinubu dragged the federal government to court culminating in the Supreme Court judgement in favour of Lagos State.
In 2007, the same Tinubu vowed to take over the remaining five states from the control of the PDP and this came to pass through the ballot box and rigorous legal fire works.
Though Ondo State is controlled by the Labour Party but it is widely believed that the state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko who rode on the LP platform to power was anointed by the Asiwaju of Lagos.
In what the PDP described as abomination, the former governor assured his followers that ACN governorship candidates would capture Benue and Kwara States through the tribunals and go ahead to win the forthcoming elections in Kogi, Adamawa, Sokoto, Cross River and Bayelsa States.
To stop what the PDP calls the impending danger, the party’s apparatchik according to LEADERSHIP findings told President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to order the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN to commence investigation of Tinubu.
Documents which in the estimation of the PDP stalwarts could nail Tinubu were presented to the AGF. Former Board Chairman of Nigeria Ports Authority and PDP chieftain, Chief Bode George and the former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe who have at various times vowed to cage Tinubu ‘‘supplied’’ the documents.
Sources in the AGF’s office said for personal reasons, the AGF assigned the matter to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to handle. The ACN national leader is expected to be tried by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
In fact, a former AGF had confided in this writer two years ago that Tinubu would soon be arrested by the federal government to account for his stewardship in Lagos State vis- a-vis the foreign accounts he allegedly operated at the period.
Some how, for inexplicable reason, the judgement day was postponed to September this year. A source in PDP secretariat said the grilling of Tinubu was delayed so that Jonathan could lean on him to capture the South West in the 2011 polls before ‘‘bringing him to knees.’’
In its summons signed by the Chairman of the CCT, and dated September 6, Tinubu was requested to report to the CCT in Abuja on September 21. The charge sheet was signed by Kyari Ahmed is the prosecutor. Tinubu was accused of contravening provisions of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Act.
But in a swift reaction, Tinubu said “After years of threats, political mudslinging and media trial on the impending allegations, a formal invitation to commence trial has finally come.”
What PDP Say
The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali declined to comment on the issue but promised to write a rejoinder to any publication that is not correct. Ogunlewe, who spoke on behalf of the South West PDP said the trial of Tinubu was long overdue.
“The Federal Government has been too lenient with him, what about his perjury case, they should re-open it. What of his company, Alpha beta Consulting that is taking N2 billion from the coffers of Lagos State monthly?’’ he stressed.
He believes for justice to be done to the Tinubu challenge, federal government must beam its search light on other areas aside the offshore accounts.
‘‘What about his perjury case, they should re-open it. What of his company, Alpha beta Consulting that is taking N2 billion from the coffers of Lagos State monthly?
WHAT ACN SAY
The party believes the recent summons served on Tinubu to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal is politically motivated. Close associates of the former governor insinuated that the PDP government launched the onslaught on Tinubu because of the fear that he may gun for the presidency in 2014.
While dismissing Tinubu’s presidential ambition with a wave of the hand as none existent, they believe the travails of Tinubu would strengthen him more than ever before to enthrone a credible electoral system and virile opposition in the country.
They also believe Tinubu is being punished for supporting the emergence of Tambuwal as Speaker in a contest they insist gave PDP and Jonathan a bloodied face.
The party’s spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said Tinubu’s impending trial is an attempt to halt his rising political profile as Nigeria’s leading opposition leader and also stop possible electoral victory of ACN.
Mohammed wants Nigerians to know that Tinubu has not admitted to any of the allegations against him.
The position of the party he said is that Information is being doctored by the Jonathan administration to manipulate public perception ahead of what the PDP call planned political lynching of Tinubu by the Federal Government.
The party said if Tinubu is to been tried on the basis of the EFCC report then President Jonathan too should be ready to face the music because he too and a few governors were indicted by the 2006 EFCC report for operating foreign bank accounts?
The party wants government to offer explanation as to why the federal government and the CCT are silent on these other people?
WHAT CIVIL SOCIETY & NIGERIANS SAY
A cross section of the civil society groups which spoke with LEADERSHIP praised Tinubu for not running away from the long arm of the law. They also welcome his invitation by CCT but advised the tribunal to allow the rule of law to guide the process of investigation.
They however said the CCT failed to tell Nigerians certain details, a scenario they claimed could trigger suspicion.
Though the public they insist have been served the details of the bank names, account holders, location of banks, account numbers and swift codes, but argued that Nigerians have not been told the exact or total amount in the accounts.
They also argued that if the sums in foreign bank accounts of Dariye, Ibori, Lucky Igbiniedon, and others were exposed and mentioned, why is the sum total of funds in the Tinubu case shrouded in secrecy? Why is the CCT and its media allies leaving out the total amount of money involved?
They also believe that Nigerians deserve to know what years were these accounts opened and for how long were they operational and the inflows within the period.
The civil society also said Nigerians should be told if Tinubu made any deposits into any of these accounts or conducted.
CONCLUSION
It will be recalled that Obasanjo set up a Joint Task Force (JTF) on corruption in 2006 to taint politicians before the 2007 general elections.
It was headed by then Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu. Members of JTF include representatives of the CCB; the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC); Department of State Security Services (DSS) and representative of the Nigerian Police.
Fifteen (15) serving governors, including Tinubu and the president who was then governor of Bayelsa State, Goodluck Jonathan were allegedly indicted for operating foreign accounts as well as falling short of the CCB Act.
Now that CCT has finally woken from its deep slumber to investigate Tinubu, Nigerians who spoke to LEADERSHIP said the bureau should similarly extend its dragnet to other Nigerians indicted by the JTF so that no political colourations would be attached to Tinubu’s imminent trial.
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