The Accord Party has asked Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to resign over the agency’s freezing of the Osun state government’s bank account.
Recall that the Commission had on Wednesday confirmed freezing the state government’s bank accounts over alleged fraudulent handling of funds.
The anti-graft agency said it had been investigating the government since March, adding that some officials, including the accountant-general, had been interviewed by its investigators.
The commission said it observed huge transfers from the accounts into different corporate entities since August 2 amid the probe.
But in a statement on Thursday, Kolapo Alimi, commissioner for information and public enlightenment, faulted the EFCC’s account, describing it as an attempt to cover up an illegal action through unfounded allegations.
On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu directed the EFCC to immediately vacate the freeze order on Osun bank accounts.
Speaking on Friday at a press conference in Abuja, Maxwell Mgbudem, national chairman of the Accord Party, said Tinubu should remove Olukoyede if he refuses to step down.
Mgbudem said that the EFCC leadership had lost the confidence of the party after freezing the Osun state government account.
He said the agency violated the 1999 constitution and overstepped its statutory responsibilities.
The Accord Party chairman commended Tinubu for directing the anti-graft agency to reverse the freeze on the state’s account, stressing that the intervention halted a further descent into lawlessness.
He said the EFCC had brought “the nation to ridicule and disrepute before the international community”.
“Accordingly, Accord demands the immediate resignation of the EFCC chairman,” Mgbudem said.
“For embarrassing the president, the party, the government and people of Osun state and fellow citizens. The EFCC chairman should toe the path of honour and tender his resignation. If he fails to resign, President Tinubu should sack him immediately to restore the integrity of the anti-graft agency. There should be no sacred cow in the quest to sanitise the anti-corruption commission in particular, and the democratic system in general.”
The Accord Party chairman said the party commended Tinubu’s intervention on the incident.
He also urged security agencies, anti-graft bodies, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adhere to their statutory responsibilities and democratic ethics.
Mgbudem asked the president and Tunji Disu, inspector-general of police (IGP), to secure the release of the remaining 60 members of Accord Party detained in Abuja, Osun and Nasarawa states.