Save Democracy Movement (SDM) has condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appointment of a lawyer, Mr. Ola Olukayode, as the new Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The group described as illegal the appointment of a lawyer to head the agency, calling on the National Assembly not to confirm the appointment.

According to a statement by the group’s National Convener, Abiodun Williams, the act establishing the anti-graft agency demanded a person with security and law enforcement experience to occupy the position of an executive chairman.

Williams cited a section of the EFCC Act, which provides that the agency’s chairman shall be “a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent; and shall also possess not less than 15 years cognate experience.”

He noted that until the act is amended by the National Assembly, the pre-conditions prescribed in the law for appointing the head the agency remain.

Williams argued that the EFCC Act did not provide for lawyers to lead the agency because, according to him, that would affect their constitutional role of defending suspects, including those dragged to court by the agency.

The group explained that the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police was only used as the minimum qualification when the agency was newly established and as such, it cannot continue with that standard now that Course 2 Officers have been trained and are available to take the lead.

He called on stakeholders such as the National Assembly, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), security agencies, law enforcement agencies, the media, among others to come together to defend the law of the land by ensuring that an agency as vibrant as the EFCC is not gagged through undue appointments.

Tinubu, on Thursday, appointed Olukayode as the new EFCC Chairman following the alleged resignation of the embattled former chairman, Mr. Abdurasheed Bawa.

However, this appointment has raised a lot of controversy across the country, with many saying they won’t be surprised if Olukayode starts work immediately without the National Assembly’s confirmation, because according to them, a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Hannatu Musawa, is currently serving as a minister, despite the criticisms against her appointment. (The Guardian: Text, Excluding Headline)

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