APGA Condemns Obiano Arrest

Anambra State former Governor, Willie Obiano, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which has been criticized by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

EFCC’s detention of Obiano, according to APGA, is a “politically driven witch-hunt,” and the agency has resorted to the deployment of fifth columnists to carry out its investigation.

As previously reported, the commission apprehended the former governor at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, only hours after appointing Charles Soludo as the new governor.

When speaking with reporters on Saturday, Evang Chinedu Obigwe, National Coordinator of the APGA Media Warriors Forum, said the claim that the former governor looted N42 billion, of which N37 billion was used to finance political activities, was unfounded and did not hold water.

The statement by Obigwe went on to say that Obiano is presumed innocent unless and until he is found guilty in a court of law.

He said that Nigerians no longer have faith in the anti-graft agency as of today, stating that:

“when they see the real corrupt politicians joining APC, they would turn to toothless bulldogs.

“But when an opposition figure is involved they will be barking as if the person committed any crime whereas they are doing the evil bidding of their paymasters.”

He said, “EFCC, as usual, has resorted to the use of fifth columnists for the media trial of Obiano. This is evidence showing that they are executing a politically motivated witch hunt plot against him.

“How can you deny last year that you were not aware that Obiano was placed on EFCC watch list only for you now to come in March and be claiming that he has been on your watch list for a long time.

“As a former governor, Obiano was finishing his tenure, EFCC did not deem it necessary to extend an invitation to him to visit their office at the end of his tenure for interrogation.

“In the absence of an invitation from the EFCC, you don’t expect him not to travel out of the country to go and enjoy a well-deserved rest. I don’t agree with the claim that Obiano was running out of the country before EFCC arrested him.

“He was living his normal life and going about his normal business because he has no skeleton in his cupboard. Assuming EFCC extended an invitation to him and he refused to go, it will be a different issue.

“If EFCC claims that he enjoyed immunity while he was governor, they should have extended an invitation to him and made it clear to him that they want him to report to their office immediately after handing over to his successor. Had it been the agency doing this, Obiano will honour their invitation.

“Another funny thing is that EFCC did not use the same yardstick they are using to measure Obiano on other former governors, especially those that joined APC to escape prosecution.

“APGA as a party says no to EFCC media trial of former governor Obiano because injustice to one is an injustice to all.”