The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has strongly denied claims that its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, held a secret meeting with a South-South governor and his predecessor 48 hours before they allegedly defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This rebuttal followed an allegation made by Paul Ibe, spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday. Ibe claimed that Olukoyede and the Solicitor General met with a serving and former South-South governor at a government lodge just two days before their defection to the APC. Reports had linked Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa to the defection in April.
In a statement released on Friday, the EFCC described the claim as “patently fabricated” and expressed outrage over what it called a baseless narrative.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is outraged by the unfounded claims of Mr Paul Ibe, alleging that the Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, met secretly with unnamed politicians,” the statement said.
It emphasised that Ibe’s remarks were rooted in “conjectures and assumptions” tied to opposition politics and defections, adding that the claim was not only false but also “in bad taste.”
The Commission reaffirmed that Olukoyede remains apolitical and committed to professionalism, stating that “the EFCC is totally wired against partisan tendencies.”
Olukoyede urged the public to dismiss the allegation, describing it as a figment of Ibe’s imagination.
