ICPC To Politicians: It’s Not Our Job To Stop Your Opponents From Contesting Elections

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Friday, warned politicians to stop sending petitions against their political opponents.

ICPC Chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye stated this when he hosted the leadership of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) at the commission’s headquarters.

ICPC Warns Politicians

A statement issued by the ICPC Spokesman, Azuka Ogugua, quoted Owasanoye as saying some politicians use anti-corruption agencies in order to outdo their opponents.

“Usually, when the season for competition comes, there is a spike in politically-motivated petitions for wild-goose chases. Some are brazen enough to tell you that we should make sure to stop Mr A from contesting and they will bring a petition forward. That is not our job, and we will not get involved in those things. We pack those type of petitions aside basically,” he said.

“Even if there is implication of merit within the complaint, we will say ‘go and compete first’.

“We are not going to be the one to be used to give you the fair or unfair advantage. When the competition is over, we will decide on the merit or otherwise of what you have brought forward.”

He said the ICPC, however, has an existing understanding with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on how to  address genuine electoral petitions when the need arises.

“We do have an understanding with INEC that in cases where contestants challenge each other in court and the decision says somebody forged a certificate for example, INEC will send those things to us, and we are prosecuting a few of them at the moment.

“Those are ways we will add value without compromising ourselves or exposing our officers to the compromise and desperation of politicians during the contest.”

Meanwhile, Kanyi Daily had reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) debunked reports making the rounds that its Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa has a deal with Tunde Ayeni, former Chairman of the defunct Skye Bank.

The anti-graft agency said the reports that Bawa and Ayeni are travelling together, abroad “on a clandestine, self-serving mission,” are  “absolutely FALSE.”