President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to claims by the 49-member Senate Caucus of the PDP which on Thursday kicked against his administration’s war against corruption, claiming it was selective and lacked transparency and fairness.
Reaction to the allegations in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, Buhari described the claims by the Godwill Akpabio-led caucus as “false, baseless and totally unjustifiable”.
Akpabio had said, “The [PDP] caucus is not happy with the current trend that seems to suggest that the war against corruption is selective and targeted at PDP stalwarts and states,” the group said at the briefing.
“The current war lacks transparency, fairness to all and appears to be aimed at political adversaries.”
But reacting via his aide on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Sunday, Buhari said it was regrettable that “wild allegation of bias and partisanship” could come from respected and distinguished members of the Nigerian Senate.
“We have noted with regret, the allegation by members of the PDP Senate Caucus that the present administration is being selective and partisan in its prosecution of the war against corruption.
“We state without equivocation that the allegation is false, baseless and totally unjustifiable.
“For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, we affirm that having made his zero tolerance for corruption clear to all and sundry, President Muhammadu Buhari does not micro-manage or interfere in the daily work of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies.
“The wild allegation of bias and partisanship in the fight against corruption shouldn’t have come therefore from respected and distinguished members of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That claim belongs to the past and not the present. Public officials and other leaders accused of corruption by relevant agencies should plead their innocence, not malice."
Reaction to the allegations in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, Buhari described the claims by the Godwill Akpabio-led caucus as “false, baseless and totally unjustifiable”.
Akpabio had said, “The [PDP] caucus is not happy with the current trend that seems to suggest that the war against corruption is selective and targeted at PDP stalwarts and states,” the group said at the briefing.
“The current war lacks transparency, fairness to all and appears to be aimed at political adversaries.”
But reacting via his aide on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Sunday, Buhari said it was regrettable that “wild allegation of bias and partisanship” could come from respected and distinguished members of the Nigerian Senate.
“We have noted with regret, the allegation by members of the PDP Senate Caucus that the present administration is being selective and partisan in its prosecution of the war against corruption.
“We state without equivocation that the allegation is false, baseless and totally unjustifiable.
“For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, we affirm that having made his zero tolerance for corruption clear to all and sundry, President Muhammadu Buhari does not micro-manage or interfere in the daily work of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies.
“The wild allegation of bias and partisanship in the fight against corruption shouldn’t have come therefore from respected and distinguished members of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That claim belongs to the past and not the present. Public officials and other leaders accused of corruption by relevant agencies should plead their innocence, not malice."