ACN’s Tinubu vs. PDP-led government: Round one

Former governor of Lagos State and the leader of the leading opposition political party in the country, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is no doubt embattled. The decision of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), to try the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) stalwart for allegedly maintaining foreign accounts, while in office as governor years back has […]

Former governor of Lagos State and the leader of the leading opposition political party in the country, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is no doubt embattled. The decision of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), to try the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) stalwart for allegedly maintaining foreign accounts, while in office as governor years back has not only come as a shock to his loyalists but also jolted the polity. Expectedly, away from the security challenges that clouded the political atmosphere recently, the ‘Tinubu Travails’ have dominated national discourse.

Specifically, Tinubu is being accused of operating 10 different foreign accounts while in office as governor contrary to Section 7 of the CCB and Tribunal Act, Cap 56 Laws of the Federation, 1990 and punishable under Section 23 (2) thereof as incorporated under paragraph 18, part I of the 5th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution. He was said to have failed to declare the foreign bank accounts in the assets declaration form CCB-1 which he submitted to the CCB when he was elected governor.

At the commencement of the much-awaited trial which ran into a hitch owing to the attempt by the prosecuting counsel to proffer fresh charges on the former governor, CCT Chairman, Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar assured the audience of  ‘fairness and justice’. But there are doubts, especially from the camp of the embattled former governor whether he will survive the ongoing onslaught which he himself described as politically motivated. This doubt was premised on several grounds. First, is the timing, which is coming years after Tinubu had left office.

Although the bureau through its Head, Information, Iyabo Akinwande said the case was only put on hold because investigation was on oing and has just been completed, many believe it was ill-timed, coming years after it was first mentioned. The allegations were first made public in May, 2007, involving 15 governors among which are Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Achike Udenwa (Imo), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna) and Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto). Others on the list were Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Boni Haruna (Adamawa), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Lucky Igbinedion (Edo) and James Ibori (Delta).

The other name on the list was Goodluck Jonathan, who was then the governor of Bayelsa State. Jonathan was among others alleged to have made false declaration of assets, contrary to the Code of Conduct for Public Officers. Some of the above mentioned former governors who felt out with the then President Olusegun Obasanjo like James Ibori, Boni Haruna, Chimaroke Nnamani and Attahiru Bafarawa among others were investigated and hounded into detention not through the tribunal, but by the anti graft agencies like the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) under Nuhu Ribadu.

Tinubu, despite the bad blood between him and Obasanjo, then survived the onslaught. “He is the only person who was not charged with acquisition of property or money laundering, of the 15 originally accused of violating the Code of Conduct, why now,” Mr. Olakunle Abimbola, his press secretary queried.

There is also anxiety in opposition circles that what qualified Tinubu for a revisit of a matter that was first brought up in 2007 is his growing political profile. The return of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to power in the Southwest, its strength in other parts of the country and the role the party played in the election of Hon. Aminu Tambuwal as Speaker of the House of Representatives is believed by associates of the former Governor to have informed the charges.

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, said the ongoing trial is politically-motivated and that it was part of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) machinations to bring down the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in South West. He told Weekly Trust that if there were genuine allegations against the ACN leader, the government should have prosecuted him before now.  He said the PDP are not happy with the successes recorded by the ACN during the last elections which made it the biggest opposition party in the country.

As if to affirm Musa’s claim, a source close to the PDP headquarters told Weekly Trust in confidence yesterday that the travails of the former governor may not end any time soon. The source said the PDP will not like to lose any of the six states which elections could not hold because of the judicial intervention over tenure.

Before the commencement of the trial during the week, Tinubu has voiced out that the Federal Government is in desperate moves to manufacture evidence against him. The former governor’s position was re-echoed yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Abimbola, who alleged the existence of verifiable information that the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and some members in the leadership of the PDP who may have found sympathetic ears in the presidency.

Abimbola added that another dimension of the desperate moves of these individuals include the recent media leaks from the office of the AGF  that  the charges against Tinubu will be  amended to include perjury  so as to strengthen their case. Similar reports, he also alleged also alluded to the fact that the government also plans to drag before the tribunal three other ex-governors for alleged similar offences.

But Tinubu maintains his innocence in the matter brought forward by the tribunal. He said: “They said I operated foreign accounts; they have not shown me the statements of account, they are yet to provide information, even though under the Freedom of Information Act they are expected to do that; they have not provided me the amount and I am yet to know if what they are saying is state money.”

He explained that Nigerians should wait for the prosecuting team to prove their allegations beyond every reasonable doubt. But, in his comment, he denied ever operating foreign account as alleged.

In the opinion of several ACN leaders that has responded to the trial of their overall leader, the trial of Tinubu at the CCT amounts to with-hunting, intimidation and harassment of opposition.  They described Tinubu the conscience of the nation that deserves some respect from the ruling PDP.

Chief James Faleke, ACN members in the House of Representatives and former Chairman of the Chairmen of the 20 Local Government  and 37  Local Council Development Areas (LCDA’s) in Lagos state, said the trial of Bola Tinubu  is sheer misuse of political power.

Meanwhile, thousands of Lagosians that watch footage of Tinubu’s trial at the tribunal’s room in Abuja are keeping their fingers crossed. They perceived Tinubu to be a dogged fighter who ‘fought’ former President Obasanjo’s regime to a standstill. The question remains: Can Tinubu beat a PDP-led government again? Only time will tell.