Finally, Saraki Reveals Real Reason Senate Refused To Confirm Magu As EFCC Chairman

Saraki Blames Presidency For Non-Confirmation Of Magu

The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has disclosed what may have been responsible for the Senate’s rejection of the candidacy of Ibrahim Magu as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Saraki explained that the Presidency refused to follow standard global practice when the lawmakers refused to confirm Magu as the substantive boss of the EFCC.

Saraki was speaking on Monday during an orientation programme organised by the National Assembly management for newly elected federal lawmakers.

The Senate President was responding to questions from incoming members of the 9th National Assembly during the presentation by the Clerk of the National Assembly.

“During the Orientation Programme for Members-elect of the 9th National Assembly, at Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja, in the first lecture of the day which was about the “Overview of the National Assembly Structure, Functions and Inter-Parliamentary Relations”, presented by Mr. M.A. Sani Omolori, the Clerk of the National Assembly (CNA), the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, served as the Chairman of the session.

“In the course of his presentation, Omolori mentioned that one of the functions of the Senate is the confirmation of nominees from the Executive branch.

“During the question and answer session which followed, there were about three questions on confirmations.

“One member asked that if the Senate refuses to confirm a nominee from the Executive, what are the options?

“Another member specifically asked about the issue of Magu and asked why the Senate did not go to court after it did not confirm Magu, but Magu continued serving in an Acting capacity at the EFCC.

“When responding to the questions, the Clerk of the National Assembly stated that he was not in a position to answer ‘political questions’ and referred the response to the Chairman of the occasion, the Senate President.

“In his response, the Senate President stated that according to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is clearly the role of the Senate to confirm nominees of the Executive.

“While responding to the question of the member who asked about the options, the Senate President stated that the options are that the President can lobby the legislature or present someone else as a nominee.

“The Senate President also responded to the question about why the Senate did not go to court by clarifying that there are currently over 12 cases in the Nigerian courts about the role of the Senate in the confirmations process.

The Senate President maintained that the legislators reserve the right to either confirm or reject presidential nominees in the interest of the nation.

Naija News recalls the Senate rejected Magu on the three occasions that the presidency presented his nomination, citing an unfavourable memo against him by the Department of State Services.