Coalition Urges EFCC, ICPC To Probe Viral Audio

A coalition of anti-corruption groups has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Crimes Commission (ICPC), to investigate a viral audio trending online where some politicians in Delta State were allegedly discussing how they secured tribunal judgements in favour of the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party.

This is even as PDP chieftains in Delta State has declined comment on the allegations.

Briefing journalists in Abuja, the leader of the group, John Onochie, said the EFCC as an agency against vote buying, election rigging should study the audio where the politicians where heard discussing how they procured victories at the tribunals.

The politicians were also alleging that they had the courts in their palms to do their will.

Part of the audio between the two politicians, which was in pidgin English and translated to English language read: “This is draw, you people have won this one… We are still going to supreme court… as at three days ago, they wanted to give victory to another person, unfortunately the plan leaked. As I talk to you now, I am Abuja. So you people took N7 million dollars to go there? We don’t have money like you people, we just made them know that it will destabilise the country … We used connection. We are going to the supreme court. We own the supreme court self … The only one we feared was appeal court…”

The group urged anti-graft agency to investigate and invite all those indicated for questioning to ascertain the level of involvement and all those involved in the alleged corrupt practices must be brought to book.

Delta State has been involved in post election court cases recently with Ovie Omo-Agege, a former deputy senate president, saying he will appeal the judgment which upheld the election of Sheriff Oborevwori, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner of the Delta state governorship election held on March 18.

Oborevwori polled 360, 234 votes to defeat Omo-Agege who secured 240, 229 votes.

Aggrieved, the APC candidate and his party had lodged a petition before the tribunal.

Recently, the Court of Appeal also affirmed the election of Oborevwori.

The judgment was delivered nearly two months after the Delta State governorship election petition tribunal upheld Oborevwori’s election.