Forces opposed to EFCC chairman Magu visit Buhari in London with names of possible replacements

POLITICAL lobbyists have hatched fresh plans to get rid of the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu and have even visited President Muhammadu Buhari in London to offer him the names of possible replacements.

Twice this year, the senate has refused to ratify Mr Magu's appointment after the Department of State Security submitted a damning report indicting him. However, President Buhari has stuck by his man and insisted Mr Magu will continue in his role as acting EFCC chairman and may even be presented to the National Assembly again.

Some lobbyists said to be made up of powerful apparatchiks have allegedly visited London with the names of two likely candidates to succeed Mr Magu. Their preferred candidates are said to include a deputy commissioner of police and an assistant commissioner of police.

Also, some unknown security agents have been said to have visited Mr Magu’s uncompleted bungalow in Karshi, an Abuja suburb, in search of incriminating evidence. The agents were said to have dug up a soak-away pit at the site in search of buried cash or some documents but the combing of the bungalow yielded nothing.

Away in Malawi when the search took place, Mr Magu was said to be shocked when he returned and found out that his house had been searched. There is said to be a sudden panic among investigators close to Mr Magu and among his associates following the sudden search without warrant.

Mr Magu’s rejection by the National Assembly has caused some disquiet between the presidency and the senate, with the latter demanding that the acting chairman should vacate the office. However, acting president Professor Yemi Osinbajo said that in the light of Section 171 of the 1999 constitution, the president can retain Mr Magu without the senate’s confirmation.

Professor Itse Sagay, the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, has also advised the president to retain Mr Magu, based on the provision of the constitution. Arrayed against Magu are some forces in government, a few governors and members of the National Assembly who are said to be mounting pressure on President Buhari to relieve him of his job.

They are said to be angry with Mr Magu’s name and shame style and their main complaint borders on the inability of those in government to control him when necessary. It was learnt that some of those opposed to Mr Magu have secretly visited London with the names of the two candidates who they rate as efficient as him.

There were indications yesterday that the two candidates were undergoing some checks, with one of them believed to be close to a principal officer of the National Assembly. However, the leaking of news about the search for Mr Magu’s replacement has ruffled feathers in the EFCC and among some government functionaries.