PDP, APC differ as EFCC moves to stop money sharing at conventions

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission has vowed to monitor the movement of huge sums of
money in the activities of political parties.

The EFCC also stated that it would prevent politicians from
sharing money at party conventions or at polling centres.

The Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, said this during a
programme, ‘Question Time’, on Channels
Television.

He said, “We are working with INEC to make sure that we seal
every window, and every leakage before the election. We will block
any avenue where people can move a lot of money either physically
in cash or through banks.

“We will prevent people from using money to buy votes or use
money during conventions for delegates. We have machinery in
place.”

EFCC has no power to monitor parties’
spending –PDP

But the Peoples Democratic Party says it will be illegal for the
EFCC to pry into how political parties spend their money.

The main opposition party stated that only the Independent
National Electoral Commission was empowered by law to monitor the
accounts of political parties.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola
Ologbondiyan, told one of our correspondents on Saturday that there
was no way the commission would delegate such power to the
anti-graft agency.

Ologbondiyan said, “The EFCC doesn’t have such power to monitor
how political parties spend their money.

“Such power is vested in INEC and the commission doesn’t have
the power to delegate the functions given to it by law.

“The electoral body had written to all political parties, asking
them to furnish it with their 2015 financial records. The EFCC has
no such power.

“How can they be monitoring political parties’ convention? Does
the law give them such power? They can’t hide under the alleged
directive by INEC to commit illegality.”

APC, NCP welcome EFCC, INEC’s partnership

But the ruling party,  the All Progressives Congress and
the National Conscience Party have expressed support for the
decision by the EFCC and INEC to eliminate vote buying and money
sharing.

In separate telephone interviews with our
reporter on Saturday, the National Publicity Secretary of
the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said his party, more than any
other, fully supported any legitimate move to curb corruption under
any guise.

He stated, “It is a welcome development.  We are a
government that came to power on the strength of commitment to
fight corruption. We welcome it as long as what the EFCC wants to
do is within the ambit of the law and we are fully in support of
such a move.”

Speaking in a similar vein, the National Chairman of the NCP,
Dr. Yunusa Tanko, said, “If it can be effectively and transparently
done and not used by the government in power for a witch-hunt, it’s
a beautiful idea.

“At least, we can be assured that people will vote according to
their conscience by voting the right candidate into office and we
will have fewer cases of people being induced with money to vote
for the wrong people.

“It will reduce the influence of money on our polity. We only
hope and pray that the anti-graft agency will not hide under this
guise to intimidate other political parties to pave the way for the
ruling party.”

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission has vowed to monitor the movement of huge sums of
money in the activities of political parties.

The EFCC also stated that it would prevent politicians from
sharing money at party conventions or at polling centres.

The Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, said this during a
programme, ‘Question Time’, on Channels
Television.

He said, “We are working with INEC to make sure that we seal
every window, and every leakage before the election. We will block
any avenue where people can move a lot of money either physically
in cash or through banks.

“We will prevent people from using money to buy votes or use
money during conventions for delegates. We have machinery in
place.”

EFCC has no power to monitor parties’
spending –PDP

But the Peoples Democratic Party says it will be illegal for the
EFCC to pry into how political parties spend their money.

The main opposition party stated that only the Independent
National Electoral Commission was empowered by law to monitor the
accounts of political parties.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola
Ologbondiyan, told one of our correspondents on Saturday that there
was no way the commission would delegate such power to the
anti-graft agency.

Ologbondiyan said, “The EFCC doesn’t have such power to monitor
how political parties spend their money.

“Such power is vested in INEC and the commission doesn’t have
the power to delegate the functions given to it by law.

“The electoral body had written to all political parties, asking
them to furnish it with their 2015 financial records. The EFCC has
no such power.

“How can they be monitoring political parties’ convention? Does
the law give them such power? They can’t hide under the alleged
directive by INEC to commit illegality.”

APC, NCP welcome EFCC, INEC’s partnership

But the ruling party,  the All Progressives Congress and
the National Conscience Party have expressed support for the
decision by the EFCC and INEC to eliminate vote buying and money
sharing.

In separate telephone interviews with our
reporter on Saturday, the National Publicity Secretary of
the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said his party, more than any
other, fully supported any legitimate move to curb corruption under
any guise.

He stated, “It is a welcome development.  We are a
government that came to power on the strength of commitment to
fight corruption. We welcome it as long as what the EFCC wants to
do is within the ambit of the law and we are fully in support of
such a move.”

Speaking in a similar vein, the National Chairman of the NCP,
Dr. Yunusa Tanko, said, “If it can be effectively and transparently
done and not used by the government in power for a witch-hunt, it’s
a beautiful idea.

“At least, we can be assured that people will vote according to
their conscience by voting the right candidate into office and we
will have fewer cases of people being induced with money to vote
for the wrong people.

“It will reduce the influence of money on our polity. We only
hope and pray that the anti-graft agency will not hide under this
guise to intimidate other political parties to pave the way for the
ruling party.”