Submit Ministerial Nominees List To EFCC, PDP Urges Senate

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of not only condoning but also explicitly promoting corruption.

The PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, urged the Senate to submit the list of ministerial nominees sent to it by Buhari to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The main opposition party also stated that corruption has become a state art since Buhari assumed office in 2015.

The statement reads: “This is particularly as President Buhari had asserted that he would only nominate persons he knows “personally”.

“It, therefore, speaks volumes that the persons Mr President “personally” knows and has nominated as ministers include such individuals that have been publicly indicted and known to be answering questions as accomplices in on-going corruption cases in various courts.

“The Senate to note that some of the nominees have failed to defend their corruption allegations. This includes a particular former minister from the North Central, who had admitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) of complicity in the N2.5 billion National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) fraud case, still pending in court.

“This is in addition to certain nominees who, as state governors, swindled their states, fleeced workers and committed several financial crimes for which they should rather be standing trial, instead of being rewarded with official protection as ministers.

“Our party notes that the gathering of corrupt persons as cabinet ministers is a clear pointer to a scheme by the cabal in the Presidency to further entrench corruption in our nation.”

“President Buhari has not demonstrated any commitment to the fight against corruption and for that reason, Nigerians now look up to the National Assembly to protect the nation from the excesses of the Buhari Presidency.

“The Senate is therefore urged to stand with the people in resisting the manipulations of the Buhari Presidency to ensure that only persons with
clean records are cleared as ministers,” the PDP added.