Former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has said the Court of Appeal judgment declaring Ibrahim Magu’s prolonged stay as acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) unlawful has vindicated the 8th Senate.
Saraki, in a statement on Monday, recalled that the Senate under his leadership rejected Magu’s nomination twice in 2016 and 2017, yet he remained in office until July 2020 without confirmation.
He said the Senate’s decision was not political but constitutional.
“At the time, some called our decision political. It wasn’t. We were simply exercising our constitutional duty and standing by what was right,” Saraki said.
He alleged that he, his colleagues and their families faced intimidation for the decision.
“My colleagues in the 8th Senate and I, as well as our families and associates, endured what I can only describe as attempts by Magu to terrorise us. Doing what was right came at a huge personal and public cost,” he said.
Saraki said the Appeal Court ruling delivered on Sunday had confirmed the Senate’s position.
“Yesterday, the Court of Appeal ruled that Magu’s prolonged tenure as acting EFCC Chairman was indeed unlawful. Nearly a decade later, I feel vindicated yet again,” he said.
He added that public service requires standing on principle despite pressure.
“For those of us who have had the privilege of serving this nation, the deepest lesson in all of this is that time may test one’s conviction, but it always ultimately reveals the value of standing on principle,” Saraki said.
