By Emman Ovuakporie
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, appears to have recorded a major but silent victory in the just concluded elections with the defeat, at the polls ,of most of the politicians it listed in its Advisory list ahead of the elections.

While the law does not give the EFCC any power to disqualify any politician from contesting, it cannot be a mere coincidence that most of those it said have a case to answer for alleged corruption all lost.

In a statement ahead of the elections, EFCC spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi had said of the advisory list:

“The list is neither a covert or overt strategy, intention, ploy nor agenda of the EFCC to arrogate to itself the power of a law court.

Rev Jolly Nyame, Chimaroke Nnamani, Boni Haruna and Farida Waziri

Thus, it is patently assumptive and speculative of anyone or any group to accuse the Commission of using its power to stop aspirants. The Commission never states or pretends that it has any power to stop aspirants. What the list simply represents is a public disclosure of the gamut of its prosecutorial efforts in the war against corrupt practices, information that has since remained in the public domain for several months.

“It is therefore obvious that most of the reactions and attack on the Commission were borne out of the desperate bid by those who have deliberately stalled their trials in the courts to buy time through various frivolous applications so that they can seize the opportunity of another election to return to public office and once again enjoy immunity.

“The EFCC, contrary to some selfish claims by a few people, is not seeking to convict aspirants before being pronounced guilty by a law court. In what way will a list that has been in the public sphere achieve the purpose of a conviction? What parallel or similar effects will a mere information on our cases in court have with a conviction? What pronouncement has been made on the list that can be equated with a conviction?

“The truth of the matter is that, those who have no quarrel with the lion have no need to fear its fatal claws! The innocent needs not be jittery. The EFCC is doing its job and should be appreciated for doing so creditably.
Below are briefs on those on the 2011 Advisory list :

Chimaroke Nnamani, former governor of Enugu State and incumbent Senator who is being prosecuted by the EFCC at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a 105 count charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement to the tune of N5.3 billion. He contested and lost in Enugu West Senatorial District on the platform of People for Democratic Change, PDC.

He lost to Gilbert Nnaji of the PDP.
Senator Saminu Turaki, is former governor of Jigawa state and incumbent Senator representing Jigawa North_West Senatorial district.

He is being prosecuted by the EFCC at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on a 32 count charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement to the tune of N36 billion. He contested on the platform of the ACN and lost to Danladi Sankara of PDP.

Rev Jolly Nyame, a former governor of Taraba State . He is being prosecuted by the EFCC at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory , Abuja on a 41 count charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement to the tune of N1. 3 billion. He contested the 2011 elections on the platform of the ACN and lost to , Aisha Jummai Alhassan of PDP.

Boni Haruna, former governor of Adamawa state is being prosecuted by the EFCC at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on a 28 count charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement to the tune of N250 million. He contested and lost the Adamawa North senatorial seat under the platform of the ACN in the 2011 elections.

Joshua Dariye, former governor of Plateau State. He is being prosecuted by the EFCC at the FCT High court, Abuja , on a 23 count charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement of over N700 million. He defected from the ruling PDP to the Labour Party, LP to contest for the senate. He lost the election.

Tolorunjuwon Joseph Faniyi, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly defrauding the state to the tune of N536 million, at the Federal High Court, Lokoja. He contested the primaries of Kogi West senatorial seat under the PDP and lost to incumbent Senator Smart Adeyemi. He defected to the CPC and contested the National Assembly election on April 9, 2011 and still lost to the PDP candidate.

Ayo Fayose, former governor of Ekiti State is being prosecuted by the EFCC at the Federal High Court, Lagos , on a 51count charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement to the tune of N1.2 billion. He contested the Ekiti Central Senatorial district on the platform of the Labour Party and lost to Babafemi Ojudu of ACN in the 2011 elections.

Mohammed Sadiq, a former Director of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), is a CPC governorship candidate in Bauchi state in the 2011 election. He is being prosecuted by the EFCC at High Court of the Federal Capital Territory , Abuja for his alleged involvement in the 17.5million euro Siemens bribery scam. He lost at the primaries on the platform of the CPC.

Attahiru Bafarawa former governor of Sokoto State is being prosecuted by the EFCC at the Federal High Court, Sokoto, on a 47 count charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement to the tune of N15 billion. He was a presidential aspirant of the ACN. He lost to Nuhu Ribadu.

Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, Chairman, Senate Committee on health and daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo is being prosecuted by the EFCC on a 56 count charge on a N10 million fraud. She lost to Gbenga Obadara of ACN in the Ogun Central Senatorial district.

Nicholas Ukachukwu is being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside former governor Abdullahi Adamu on a 149 count charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement to the tune of N15 billion at the Federal High Court, Lafia, Nasarawa state.

He contested the Anambra West Senatorial South seat under the platform of the PDP. He lost the PDP ticket to Andy Uba of PDP in the 2011 elections.

Senator Nicholas Ugbane contested for the Kogi state governorship primary on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and lost. He is being prosecuted by the EFCC along side eight others at the high Court of the FCT, Abuja , on a 65 count charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement to the tune of N5.2 billion in the Rural Electrification Agency, REA scam.

Some of these people contested in 2007 but won even when they had cases of corruption in court.