Magu: When Did El-Rufai Start Speaking for Osinbajo, Presidency? PDP Chieftain Queries

Ogidi on Friday in Abuja said that the clarification was important following a declaration credited to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo that Magu would continue to head the EFCC in spite of Senate’s rejection of his nomination, two times. Osinbajo had said that as long as the present administration remained in government, Magu would remain chairman of the commission. He was quoted making the declaration in Kaduna at the inauguration of the Zonal Office of the EFCC, where he was represented by the Governor of Kaduna State Malam Nasir El-Rufai. Ogidi, however, urged Nigerians to discountenance the statement, saying that it was believed to be el-Rufai’s and not that of the acting president or the presidency. “Was El-Rufai reading Osinbajo’s speech when he made the statement? We believe that the statement was for El-Rufai and he cannot speak for the presidency. “There is, therefore, the need for the presidency to clarify its stands or decision on the status of Magu; this will enable Nigerians to properly comment on the matter,’’ he said. The PDP stalwart also described the disagreement between the executive and legislative at the national level as “a reflection of the internal crisis within the All Progressives Congress’’. According to him, it shows that the party was not prepared for power, and it is also another means being used to divert the attention of Nigerians from its lapses. Similarly, a civil servant in Abuja, Mr Uche Chinedu, said it was unfortunate that such government decision on Magu was brought to the public. Chinedu said that the presidency or APC should have looked for a better way to manage the situation. “No one expected the acting president to be blunt in the way his representative at the event conveyed it to the public. “Even if that is the position of the government, he should have remained silent on it and continue to manage the situations,’’ he said, adding that it was evidence that the APC government had a lot to learn. He, however, advised either the executive or the legislature to approach the court in finding lasting solution to the matter. “If the Senate has rejected Magu’s nomination twice and the executive is still insisting that it must be him or no one else, I think court should be the last resort.’’ (NAN) ]]>