Kwara state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the Ilorin Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to avoid sensationalism in the agency’s prosecution of ex-governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and the former Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Demola Banu.
In a statement by the state publicity secretary of the party, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the party said that Hon Banu, at no point in time, refused to honour any invitation from the EFCC against the argument of the anti-graft agency,
The party also said that allegations against the former governor and his commissioner were aimed to silence opposition in the state.
It is recalled that the counsel to the EFCC in the case, Rotimi Jacobs SAN had argued during proceedings at the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin last Friday that Hon. Demola Banu jumped administrative bail and consequently demanded that a bench warrant be issued against him.
The party said that at no point in time did Hon Banu refuse to honour any invitation from the EFCC. “In fact, the anti-graft agency did not extend an invitation to Hon. Banu,” noting that the Court was misled by the agency into issuing a bench warrant against the former Commissioner.
“Kwarans would recall that in 2019, Hon. Ademola Banu was earlier taken to court by the EFCC while those who were then in charge of the anti-graft agency later realized that it was a wrong action and they voluntarily discontinued the case on November 18, 2020.
“We make bold to state that since November 2020, Hon. Ademola Banu had never been invited by the EFCC in respect of any matter whatsoever, and surprisingly, media reports claimed on Friday, February 23, 2024 that Hon. Ademola Banu jumped EFCC’s administrative bail and subsequently had a bench warrant issued against him.
“We want to put it on record that it is untrue and unfounded that Hon. Ademola Banu jumped bail because since his discharge by the Court in 2020, he has never received any invitation from the EFCC and some party elders had asked Hon. Banu to take legal action before we urged patience and that is why we have taken it upon ourselves to explain to the good people of Kwara that the allegations of jumping bail is not only untrue but a deliberate promotion of falsehood.
“The question is; why will Hon Banu jump bail? He had been detained and taken to the Court by the EFCC four years ago.
“We would, therefore, like to assert as a party that Hon. Banu, a prominent member of our party, and an illustrious son of Kwara, did not jump bail and he had no reason to do so. Actually, it would amount to self-abasement of the worst kind for him to do such a thing. Hon. Banu did not jump bail as alleged.
“Our party has documents of the vital resolutions of the Kwara State House of Assembly, budgetary allocations of the Kwara State Government under Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, memos for drawing finances, approvals for actions on memos for finances, etc and we will be making them available to media Houses on request.
“On this note, the PDP in Kwara state calls on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the leadership of the national assembly to caution the North Central zonal leadership of the EFCC to stop them from further connivance to intimidate opposition members in the state.