Human rights attorney and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has criticized the appointment of the Chairmen of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from the same geopolitical region.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Falana said the appointment violates the federal character principle to have the two anti-graft federal agencies under Nigeria’s leadership come from the same geopolitical region.
He pointed out that the southern zone should produce the ICPC chairman if the EFCC chairman hails from the northern region.
“If you are going to have the EFCC and the ICPC, the heads cannot come from the same zone,” said Falana.
The senior attorney emphasized that Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the EFCC, is “eminently qualified” to lead the anti-graft organization given his 22 years of relevant experience and his prior roles as chief of staff to the EFCC chairman (2016–2018) and secretary to the commission (2018–2023).
The ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN), who has been in office since February 2019, and Mr. Olukoyede both originate from the south-west geographical zone.
Recall that Bola Tinubu appointed Mr. Olukoyede to lead the EFCC on October 12, 2023, for a four-year initial term that is renewable upon Senate confirmation. Following Abdulrasheed Bawa’s contentious resignation as head of the EFCC, this appointment was made.
Falana further argued that Mr. Olukoyede is qualified to lead the anti-graft commission since he has prior experience in a high-ranking position inside the agency, despite concerns that he is not an Assistant Commissioner of Police and is therefore ineligible.
Falana also emphasized that the Federal Character Commission Act and Section 14 of the Constitution require that appointments represent federal character.
He said, “So, I am not comfortable with the fact that the heads of the EFCC and the ICPC are from the same zone”.