The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has firmly denied an allegation that its chairman, Ola Olukoyede, met with two South-South governors shortly before their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The accusation was made by Paul Ibe, spokesperson to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. During a live television interview, Ibe claimed that Olukoyede and the Solicitor General of the Federation held a closed-door meeting with a former and serving governor from the South-South region just 48 hours before they joined the APC. He further alleged that the meeting occurred at a government lodge within the region, although he did not name the governors involved.
Responding swiftly to these claims, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale issued an official statement on Friday. In the statement, Oyewale described the allegations as completely baseless and lacking any evidence.
According to Oyewale, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is outraged by the unfounded claims of Mr. Paul Ibe, spokesperson to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, alleging that Ola Olukoyede, Executive Chairman, held a secret meeting with an unnamed politician.”
He further added that Ibe’s comments were filled with “theories, conjectures and assumptions” and do not reflect any truth. “However, his allegations of the Executive Chairman EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede and Solicitor General of the Federation’s alleged meeting with an unnamed governor forty -eight hours before his defection to the ruling All People’s Congress, APC, are patently fabricated and in bad taste,” the statement noted.
Oyewale also stated that Olukoyede is not affiliated with any political party and has always maintained a neutral position. He said the EFCC as an institution is structured to operate without political interference or bias.
He urged the public to ignore the statement made by Ibe, calling it a product of imagination rather than fact. “Olukoyede has stressed at several fora that he is apolitical and the EFCC totally wired against partisan tendencies,” Oyewale noted.
This development comes amid political realignments in the South-South region. Recent reports have confirmed that Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, moved from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in April. Also, the current governor of Akwa Ibom State has shown interest in leaving the PDP for the ruling APC.
