Ahead of the March 16, 2022 change of government in Anambra State, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has placed the out-going governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano, on its watch list.
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In a letter to the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service dated November 15, 2021, the commission requested the service to place the governor on a watch list and inform it anytime he is travelling out of the country from any of the international airports and other points of entry and exit.
It is not clear why the anti-graft agency placed the governor on security watch but sources said the move is an indication that the agency may have been discreetly investigating Obiano and possibly have intelligence that he plans to escape after he hands over power to his successor, Prof Charles Soludo.
Sitting governors in Nigeria have immunity from criminal prosecution while in office.
Obiano is one of several governors being investigated for graft and money laundering.
The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached for comment on the issue.
Sitting governors in Nigeria have immunity from criminal prosecution while in office.
Obiano, 66, will hand over the leadership of Anambra to Professor Soludo in March 2022 when he completes his two terms as governor of the state.
By that time, he would have completed his eight-year long term in office after winning the governorship election in 2013 on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The governor had left the banking system to join politics before winning the election to succeed former Governor Peter Obi.
On the other hand, Professor Soludo – a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, will succeed the incumbent governor, having won the election held earlier in November.
Flying the flag of the ruling party in the state, he swept to victory, winning 19 of the 21 local government areas of the state.
Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (Mr Valentine Ozigbo) and Young Progressives Party (Senator Ifeanyi Ubah) each won a local government.
But the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Andy Uba, was unable to win any local government in the election.
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