Senate Rejects Magu As EFCC Chairman

EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu

The Nigerian Senate has rejected the nomination of Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

PREMIUM TIMES report continues:

The lawmakers said they could not okay President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of Mr. Magu based on security report available to them.

The spokesperson for the upper legislative chamber, Aliyu Abdullahi, revealed this Thursday afternoon after the Senators emerged from a closed-door meeting where Mr. Magu’s confirmation was discussed.

“The Senate wishes to inform the public that based on available security report, the Senate cannot proceed with the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“The nomination of Ibrahim Magu is hereby rejected and has been returned to the President for further action,” Mr. Abdullahi said.

The Senate had slated today, Thursday, to screen Mr. Magu, who has been acting as EFCC Chairman in the past one year.

The Presidency had since July requested the Senate to confirm Mr. Magu.

The request was made through a letter signed by Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo in his capacity as acting president when Mr. Buhari travelled abroad for medical treatment.

But the upper chamber failed to act.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, read the vice-president’s letter on July 14.

But the red chamber then failed to schedule a confirmation hearing fueling suspicions that some corrupt Senators bent on blocking Mr. Magu from the position.

Following widespread pressure from Nigerians, the lawmakers fixed December 8 for the session. But that also failed to materialize. It was then rescheduled for today, Thursday.