The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu to step aside, following the invitation he got from the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday.
Mr Magu was invited to appear before a Federal Government panel set up to investigate the allegations of corruption levelled against him.
The invitation generated great buzz with many reporting that the EFCC boss had been arrested by the security agency.
Reacting to the event, the PDP asked President Muhammadu Buhari to show the genuineness of its war against corruption by allowing the unhindered investigation of Mr Magu.
The PDP stated that Nigerians are already aware that Magu has been called for questioning, adding that the fact that he has to be accompanied by an attorney showed that the said “invitation”, was beyond the routine.
The party held that that the development around the EFCC acting Chairman as well as the desperate attempt by the Commission to cover or wave off his investigation, only raise more integrity questions regarding Magu’s activities in the EFCC.
PDP’s statement further reads, “Only last month, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minster of Justice, Abubakar Malami, released a memo in which he indicted Magu of alleged diversion of recovered funds and fraudulent sale of assets seized by the EFCC.
“Our party, Nigerians and indeed, the international community are keenly monitoring the development and expect the Buhari Presidency to muster the courage to carry out a comprehensive investigation and make its findings available to the public.
“Now that Magu has been pulled in for investigation, the Federal Government should preserve the integrity of the office of the Chairman of the EFCC by ordering him to step aside while investigators take charge of every activities of the office to forestall destruction of evidence as well as unnecessary interferences in the matter”.
The PDP argued that with the allegations and investigations, Magu has lost the moral rectitude to continue to preside over the anti-corruption agency.
PDP advised Magu to step aside until he proves himself innocent.
