Shock, dismay, trail reactions to ex-governor’s arrest over missing N10 billion in Nigerian state

A group self styled as pro democracy, Kwara Rebuilders, have expressed  utter dismay at the blatant attempt at politicizing the arrest of Abdulfatah Ahmed, a former governor of Kwara, north central state, Nigeria, on Monday.

Ahmed remains a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the state.

But his party men had on Wednesday stormed the zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, wielding placards and making a rash of accusations against Michael Nzekwe, zonal commander, Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, Ilorin office.

Ahmed’s PDP was ousted in 2019 in a landmark political revolution that ended dynastic sway in the state’s politics.

Credited with sound fiscal acumen, Ahmed largely failed in translating this into financial accountability as it now appears with his probe by EFCC.

Ahmed is being asked to account for how a whopping N10 billion of kwara’s money got missing under his watch.

But the state chapter of the party and followers are having none of that.

By their own reckoning, the former governor is being ‘witch hunted’, politically.

The party alleges that Ahmed is being persuaded to defect from his party and join the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

They also claimed that while in detention, Ahmed was denied access to visitation, medical checks and access to legal representation.

But Nzekwe, not at all new to the complexity of a investigating a politically exposed person, had largely addressed these matters on Wednesday.

Nobody, according to Nzekwe, has been stopped from seeing Ahmed, including his lawyer and personal doctor while in custody, noting that the Commission will not go contrary to the law.

Nzekwe added that the former governor had been given bail conditions, which he is yet to meet.

But speaking on the matter, Kwara Rebuilders, said the actions by PDP is shameful.

According to its Publicity Secretary Abdullah Abdulganiy, the protest by Kwara PDP further demonstrates that the stewardship of their leaders might truly be dogged by corruption and malpractices in the state.

” If the party has nothing to hide, it will simply allow the law to take its cause instead of staging a protest and blackmailing the EFCC.

“PDP should be proud to account for their stewardship instead of the inanities they are displaying to dissuade the EFCC from doing its job,” the publicist said.

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