Gentlemen of the press, we the Coalition of Civil Society groups in Nigeria have convened this press conference today as stakeholders in Nigeria democracy and in defence of integrity, accountability, due process and holding government, institutions and individual to account.
We as Civil Society Organizations have observed that a candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, for the Ekiti South Federal constituency 1 in the 2027 general elections, Engr Toyin Okoro Zacchaeus who was quizzed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Commission ,ICPC for some infractions and violation of the Public service Act/ rule is now under undue pressure from certain influential and powerful politicians in the state to arm twist the anti-corruption Commission to sweep the matter under the carpet, thereby giving the offender a clean bill of health.
The ICPC had following a petition from the Coalition of APC Support Groups, Ekiti APC Stakeholders and other sister civil society and pressure groups last week Thursday invited Engr. Toyin Okoro Zacchaeus for interrogation
Engr. Toyin Okoro Zacchaeus alleged offences included that, before clinching the APC ticket, was a Senior Legislative Aide (SLA) to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas. While he was serving as a SLA at the National Assembly, which made him a public servant, he was allegedly operating as the MD/CEO of a private company; ZAC-LAWREMZ NIG LTD contrary to public service rules.
He was also being interrogated for allegedly using his position as a public servant to secure public contracts for his Company ZAC-LAWREMZ NIG LTD in the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), NASENI, among others, for his private company.
Engr. Toyin Okoro Zacchaeus was also accused of receiving salaries and allowances from the National Assembly concurrently with being beneficial owner of the said private company.
He was also accused of lying on oath in his submissions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) based on the evidence at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and National Assembly.
OUR DEMANDS
We demand that ICPC should remain firm, resolute and committed to the anti corruption mantra of this government by thoroughly investigating this matter and should not allow any politician or nay sayers , fifth columnists to discredit the good works of the Commission. They should expedite and conclude its investigation into this matter and make its findings public as this is clearly a matter of public interest.
This is a test on the Integrity of the anti corruption body. They should resist any pressure from Sen.
Adedayo Adeyeye or any other highly placed individuals and pursue the case to its logical conclusion .
we call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to urgently intervene and call Senator Adedayo Adeyeye to order, to stop the unauthorized use of the president’s name to intimidate, harass or unlawfully foist anybody/candidate on the people of Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1 as it is being perceived.
We therefore demand justice, equity and fairness from the anti-Corruption commission saddles with this responsibility, ICPC, that this matter should not be swept under the carpet or disregarded as being peddled by a former Senator, Adedayo Adeyeye that the candidate in question, is Mr president's candidate and cannot be dropped by anybody whether court or otherwise. Senator Adeyeye had gone to town dropping the name of our president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the one sponsoring Engr. Okoro Zachaius
What we are simply saying is that someone who lied on oath, violated the ICPC act and the Public Service rules, drawn salaries in two places simultaneously is not fit to occupy a sensitive and high office as a lawmaker . The international Community and the world is watching Nigeria as we move into the 2027 general elections and are taking notes of the processes and the outcome subsequently.
The All Progressives Congress should also, draw lessons from the last event in Baylesa State, where a hard fought election victory was upturned and awarded to another party as a result of discrepancies and lies on their candidate's document.
Thank you.
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