Leaders of the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP have vehemently protested the freezing of the bank accounts of Benue and Akwa-Ibom states by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The PDP leaders called the freezing of accounts unconstitutional and demanded that the EFCC unfreeze the accounts immediately.
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The PDP leaders made the call in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan on Wednesday in Abuja calling on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to immediately order the EFCC to unfreeze the accounts.
The PDP described the action of the anti-graft agency as a direct attack on innocent Nigerians in both PDP states.
Mr. Ologbondiyan described the action by the EFCC as illegal, unconstitutional, overtly wicked and unjustifiable under any laws practiced in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He further advised the Presidency not to hide under the EFCC to unleash punishment and hardship on the people in states perceived to be opposed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2019 re-election bid.
Parts of the Statement read,
“Nigerians are all aware that no section of our constitution or any law in Nigeria for that matter confers any agency of the Federal Government with powers to interfere or put any restrictions on funds belonging or accruable to states as federating units of our nation. Apart from its State Assembly, no other government body or institution has the powers of appropriation or restrictions on any funds belonging
to the state”
The freezing of Benue and Akwa-Ibom state accounts were frozen by the EFCC on allegations of misuse of the state security funds and comes on the backdrop of the political drama being acted out in the country.
Eight members of the Benue state house of Assembly loyal to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC had attempted to impeach the state governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom after he had decamped to the PDP.
The Akwa-Ibom state funds were also frozen after the defection of the former state governor, Mr. Godswil Akpabio from the PDP to the APC.
Mr. Emmanuel Udom, the present Akwa-Ibom state governor had sacked two of his commissioners including the younger brother of senator Akpabio for disloyalty to the state governor.
Both commissioners had been among the entourage who received senator Akpabio at the Airport upon his arrival in the state to formally decamp to the APC.