The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Monday in Abuja, said the trial of former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu for illegally operating foreign accounts while he was governor was not political.
A statement signed by the bureau's Head of Information, Miss Iyabo Akinwande, said Tinubu's trial was delayed in order to complete investigation. The bureau said investigation into the allegation had since been completed and the trial would begin tomorrow.
The bureau said: "It has no political undertone. The case was only put on hold because investigation was on going."
But Tinubu has faulted the claims by the bureau, saying his trial was being engineered by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He told newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on his return from a foreign trip that he was, however, not perturbed by planned trial by the bureau on the allegation that he had foreign accounts while he was the governor of Lagos State, describing the bureau’s actions as politically motivated.
He said he was familiar with Nigeria’s political terrain and therefore would not be intimidated by the ruling PDP, which he alleged was behind the planned trial.
He described the appearance before the CCB as ill- timed and stressed that he was not going to lose any sleep over the matter, noting that the timing, several years after he left office, was enough indication that the ruling party was looking for something through which it could silence the opposition.
THISDAY gathered that Tinubu has put together seasoned legal practitioners to be led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, to defend him. The charge against him was filed in April 2007 before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Specifically, Tinubu was accused of operating 10 different foreign accounts while in office as governor contrary to Section 7 of the CCB and Tribunal Act, Cap 56 Laws of the Federation, 1990 and punishable under Section 23 (2) thereof as incorporated under paragraph 18, part I of the 5th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution.
He was said to have failed to declare the foreign bank accounts in the assets declaration form CCB-1 which he submitted to the CCB when he was elected governor.
Tinubu urged the ruling party to learn from the revolution in the Middle East, including Libya, where the 42year rule of Colonnel Maumar Ghadafi, was challenged by the people.
“I can just tell you that nothing will intimidate me, as a leader of opposition parties in Nigeria. I believe wholeheartedly in the tenets of constitutional democracy, and rule of law, and as a politician, I am used to be persecuted or tried.
“But they cannot induce any charge to silence the opposition in this country, the question of the rule of law, the question of dividing the judiciary, the question of the ruling party orchestrating allegation to silence opposition party, and the urge to continue to rule, without obeying the rule, does not bother me; we have seen the end of the Ghadafi’s authoritarian rule. This is all politics.com,” he said.
THISDAY gathered that Tinubu has put together seasoned legal practitioners to be led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, to defend him.
The charge against him was filed in April 2007 before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Specifically, Tinubu was accused of operating 10 different foreign accounts while in office as governor contrary to Section 7 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap 56 Laws of the Federation, 1990 and punishable under Section 23 (2) thereof as incorporated under paragraph 18, part I of the 5th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution.
He was said to have failed to declare the foreign bank accounts in the assets declaration form CCB-1 which he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau when he was elected governor.
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