Friday 7 June 2019

Sustaining Public Interest in the Prosecution of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the Code of Conduct Tribunal


Adoke, a pathological liar. l read with dismay the interview  granted by the former Attorney  General of the Federation, Mr. Bello Mohammed  Adoke to an online medium. Since l am not a member of PDP  or aide  of the former President  Jonathan, l would not  dabble into some issues he raised regarding the former President Jonathan's  congratulatory phone call to President  Buhari.

l will limit myself to the issue  of Bola Tinubu  trial at CCB. Adoke said" A particular  human rights lawyer  was the one that engineered  the trial of Mr. Bola Tinubu at CCB, on this, Adoke is a liar.

It will be recalled  that the federal  government  instituted  an action against Tinubu in 2007 for violating  S.7 of the Code of Conduct  Bureau  and Tribunal  Act, Cap.56.LFN,1990, to wit operating  foreign  accounts whilst serving as the governor  of Lagos state. It was reported  by Punch newspaper of Wednesday, April 25, 2007 and many other newspapers. After the general elections, the FG  was silent about the case. Many people believed that probably the cordial relationship  between the then President, Yardua and Tinubu affected  the trial.


ln August  2010, l wrote to Adoke in his capacity  as AGF  and copied  the Office  of  National  Security  Adviser; Chairman, Code of  Conduct Bureau; Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal; and Director General  of DSS. The receivers acknowledged the letter except  the office of Attorney  General  of the Federation. l followed up with a reminder  to AGF, Adoke and after many months of no response, l placed a full page open letter advertisement   to Adoke on two National  newspapers.

l decided to meet some PDP governors, all of them are now in APC and gave them copies  of the letter and the letter got to President  Jonathan. l was invited to Abuja on two occasions.

The current CCT Chairman dismissed the case on flimsy excuse that Tinubu was not interrogate by CCB as demanded by law before he was arraigned. Many lawyers and a Chairman  of anti  corruption  agency told me, the Tribunal  Chairman  could have discharge or refer him to the Bureau  for questioning. l learnt later that Adoke appointed  private prosecutor for CCB to handle the case and from what he said in the interview  that the trial was unnecessary showed that Adoke compromised the case.

l strongly believe that fighting corruption is collective  responsibility  of all honest Nigerians. l am proud to say, l did my best without asking for reward working with ICPC, EFCC under the chairmanship of  Larmorde and the Chief of Staff  to the President Jonathan, Chief Mike Ogdiadomhe on security challenge.To be responsible  citizen does not entail occupy political  office.


ln 2010, President  Jonathan  directed  the DSS to screen me for appointment two days after the screening  exercise  was conducted  at DSS, HQ, Annex  lkoyi, l told the men who conducted  the exercise that l would not take such appointment.

There is no need to revise history  in other to secure  a soft landing. You are not the only Minister  that served under Jonathan  and many of them are moving  freely in Nigeria, l will appeal  to Adoke to visit Nigeria  and face any charge the FG may haul at him .
Olufemi Aduwo
President, Rights Monitoring Group and Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity lnc & Permanent  Representative  of CCDI to United Nations