The vice-chairman of the senate committee on foreign affairs, Seriake Dickson, has said that Ayodele Oke—an ambassadorial nominee and former director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA)—was caught up in what he described as the APC’s “misguided vendetta” against opposition figures.
During Wednesday’s screening at the national assembly complex, the committee approved Oke, Kayode Are and Aminu Dalhatu as ambassadorial nominees after a rigorous assessment.
Writing on his Facebook page, Dickson, who represents Bayelsa west, explained that members of the committee were obligated to raise critical questions in the national interest.
The former Bayelsa governor said he specifically asked Oke to clarify the issues that surrounded his departure as NIA DG.
In April 2017, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced it had uncovered $43 million, £27,000, and N23 million in an Ikoyi apartment, following a whistleblower tip. It was later reported that the NIA, under Oke, had withdrawn $289,202,382 in cash from the NPIMS account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in February 2015 after the general election was postponed.
Dickson said Oke expressed appreciation for the inquiry and outlined both his accomplishments and the circumstances around his removal. He added that the nominee submitted a court order showing his acquittal after the case against him was withdrawn.
According to Dickson, this reaffirmed his long-held belief that the APC turned major national concerns—corruption, terrorism, and the economy—into political weapons. He accused the party of ethnicising the Boko Haram conflict and implementing a tougher version of subsidy removal despite opposing similar policies previously.
He added that the APC transformed anti-corruption efforts into a “one-sided crusade” aimed at discrediting opposition leaders.
After listening to Oke’s account, Dickson said he was convinced the nominee suffered the same political targeting as Sambo Dasuki, the former NSA.
He stressed that while Nigerians support a credible, impartial fight against corruption, it must not target specific individuals or opposition parties. He also emphasised that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and similar institutions must be managed with discretion to safeguard national security.
Dickson noted that the EFCC’s withdrawal of the case strengthened Oke’s position and confirmed why he voted to approve him. He added that he also supported the confirmation of Are and Dalhatu, describing them as competent and experienced.
He concluded by congratulating all three nominees and urging them to excel in their assignments.