Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has said the recent Court of Appeal judgment declaring Ibrahim Magu’s prolonged tenure as acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission unlawful has vindicated the position taken by the eighth Senate under his leadership.
Saraki stated this on Tuesday in a post on his X account while reacting to the appellate court’s judgment delivered in Abuja on Monday.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal overturned a 2019 Federal High Court judgment which had upheld Magu’s continued stay as acting EFCC chairman despite the Senate’s rejection of his nomination as substantive chairman.
Magu served as acting chairman of the anti-graft agency from 2015 until July 2020, when he was suspended by former President Muhammadu Buhari. His continued stay in office had been challenged after the Senate rejected his nomination twice.
Saraki recalled that the eighth Senate rejected Magu’s nomination in 2016 and 2017, maintaining that the legislature had acted within its constitutional responsibilities.
He said the Senate’s position had attracted accusations of political motivation at the time but insisted that the decision was based on its interpretation of its constitutional role.
According to Saraki, members of the eighth Senate, as well as their families and associates, faced considerable pressure over the controversy surrounding Magu’s continued leadership of the EFCC.
The former Senate President said the latest judgment had now reinforced the position the Senate took nearly a decade ago.
He wrote, “Yesterday, the Court of Appeal ruled that Magu’s prolonged tenure as acting EFCC Chairman was indeed unlawful. Nearly a decade later, I feel vindicated yet again.”
Saraki said the development had reinforced his belief that public officials should remain committed to their principles despite criticism or pressure.
He added that his experience in the Senate had taught him that the passage of time could ultimately clarify the consequences and significance of decisions taken while in public office.
The Court of Appeal ruling followed an appeal by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who challenged Magu’s continued stay in office after the Senate rejected his nomination as substantive EFCC chairman.
The judgment overturned the Federal High Court’s 2019 position that the absence of an express statutory time limit for an acting EFCC chairman permitted Magu’s continued stay in the position.
