2019 Elections: Shehu Sani Mocks EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are said to be sleeping on duty on its promise to monitor the sources of campaign spendings.
The assertion is coming from Senator Shehu Sani, lawmaker representing Kaduna Central at the Senate.
The EFCC had, at a one-day retreat for 36 state governors and key election stakeholders held in Abuja last month, warned politicians against misuse of public funds for the forthcoming general elections.
At the event, the anti-graft agency pledge to closely watch the deployment of finance by political parties to ensure that the use of public funds to finance election is curbed.
“To minimise corruption and the use of public funds to fund political parties and finance elections, there is need for greater effectiveness,” Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the EFCC said at the event.
“In enforcing the provisions of the various electoral laws in Nigeria especially as they relate to penalties upon breach of their provisions.
“Political parties should be required to keep proper records of all incomes, contributions and expenditure, and to open their books for inspection by relevant security agencies after every electioneering cycle,” Magu added.
But for the Kaduna lawmaker, the anti-graft agency has turned a blind eye to the campaign spending that has been going on thus far.
“Somewhere I read anti corruption agencies warning and threatening that they will monitor campaign spending ;and Somewhere I read about serving state Governors comfortably donating cars and Buses for Campaigns,” Senator Sani said in a tweet on Monday.
Earlier in the month, an All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmaker at the House of Representatives donated about 110 vehicles to the President Muhammadu Buhari re-election campaign team.
Umar Bago (Niger State) during the presentation of his donation called on the electorate to vote for continuity in the 2019 general elections by re-electing the Mr Buhari.
Recently, another donation of 18 vehicles was made to boast the campaign team of the president. The gift came from a serving state governor.
Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo State governor said the donation was in furtherance to his commitment to the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President, Yemi Osinbanjo.