By SPADE NG News
Following some political detractors negative reactions to Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s (SABAT) statement that he has never stolen public fund, renowned Niger Delta Human Rights and Good Governance Crusader, Comrade Billy Oghenerume Egbe yesterday, joined others reminding Nigerians on the outcome of Tinubu’s trial and travails by former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan between 2003 to 2011.
Egbe disclosed that “When former President Olusegun Obasanjo formed the EFCC, many argued that his intention was to use it to witchhunt his political enemies. To some extent, they were right because it was through the instrumentality of the EFCC that the former President successfully dealt with his Political enemies like Chief Bode George; Tafa Balogun, former Inspector General of Police, and a few others in the Southwest”.
He recalled that Obasanjo also deployed federal machinery to remove ex-governors Joshua Dariye, Rashidi Ladoja, Peter Obi, Chris Ngige and Ayo Fayose from office. These were governors of Plateau, Oyo, Anambra, Anambra and Ekiti, respectively. Yet, Tinubu was still in Office opposing Obasanjo at any given opportunity.
“For those who did not know, Bola Tinubu was a protégé of Alliance for Democracy (AD) leaders Abraham Adesanya and Ayo Adebanjo. Abraham Adasanya, late leader of Pan-Yoruba political group, Afenifere, and NADECO Chieftain, rejected Obasanjo’s Presidential ambition thrice. They were sworn enemies. For Pa. Ayo Adebanjo, Obasanjo was nothing but a killjoy”.
“This is just to show you the historical context of Southwest Politics vis-a-vis Obasanjo and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from 1999 till 2007 when both Obasanjo and Tinubu left office as President and Governor, respectively”. Egbe stated
According to the Delta born Human Rights activist, despite having so much power as President, Obasanjo couldn’t use the EFCC to witch-hunt then Governor Tinubu of Lagos while he was in office and after he had left office.
“In fact, it smacks of premeditated amnesia for anyone to call Tinubu a thief. Former President Goodluck Jonathan specifically instructed the EFCC to go after Tinubu. The Federal Government of Nigeria under GEJ charged Tinubu before the Code of Conduct Tribunal over allegations that he falsely declared his assets and operated 10 foreign bank accounts while in office as a governor between 1999 and 2007”.
“The tribunal terminated further hearing on the three-count charge in 2011, even as it discharged and acquitted Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the ground that the Federal Government failed to fulfill the necessary conditions precedent before the charge was filed”.
“It held that the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, which recommended the prosecution, never accorded the defendant (Tinubu) the opportunity to explain alleged discrepancies in his assets declaration form. It was a clear case of witch-hunt, but despite having all the federal machineries, the Jonathan-led Federal Government found nothing against Tinubu”. Billy Egbe recalled.
Collaborating Billy Egbe’s views on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Osaretin James noted that all Egbe said there was nothing but the truth. Adding that “the CCB had to apologize to Bola Ahmed Tinubu having not found anything incriminating against him”.