The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly launched a mass investigation of 28 governors and their deputies ahead of their handover on May 29.
The governors under investigation are those who shall lose constitutional immunity from being prosecuted in a few days’ time.
According to reports, a memo indicated that the anti-graft agency is after at least 28 governors and their deputies among the 36 we have in Nigeria.
Eighteen of the 28 governors under investigation will be leaving the office in the next couple of days At least 18 of the governors, with their deputies targeted for investigations by EFCC, are preparing to leave office when they complete their second terms in office on 29 May.
One of the governors is said to be leaving the office after completing just 1 term, 10 of them have won their re-elections, and they are expected to be in office for the next 4 years. Latest about EFCC, outgoing governors, May 29, 2023 Election
It was learnt that the anti-corruption agency wrote to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to request the assets declaration forms of the governors, the official communication between the 2 agencies revealed.
However, details of the cases EFCC is hunting the governors for were not clear, but the commission stated in its letter to the CCB chairman, Mohammed Isah, that the assets declaration documents are needed to facilitate its ongoing investigation of the governors.
The letter of the EFCC, dated April 11 and signed by an official of the Commission on behalf of its chairman, AbdulRasheed Bawa. partly reads: “This Commission is investigating a case in which persons listed in the attached schedule”.
Ahead of May 29, when their tenure would be officially ended, they are expected to hand over to their successor as stipulated in the constitution; however, observers have pointed out that some outgoing governors may not do the proper thing in handing over.
