The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has cautioned politicians against filing frivolous corruption complaints against their opponents ahead of the general elections in 2023.
Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, the ICPC Chairman, issued the warning on Friday in Abuja while hosting the leadership of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) at the Commission’s headquarters.
Owasanoye declared that the ICPC would not take up petitions with political overtones.
“Usually when the season for competition comes, there is a spike in politically motivated petitions for wild-goose chase.
“Some are brazen enough to tell you that “we should make sure to stop Mr A from contesting” and they will bring a petition forward.
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“That is not our job, and we will not get involved in those things. We pack those types of petitions aside basically.
“Even if there is implication of merit within the complaint, we will say “go and compete first”. We are not going to be the ones to be used to give you fair or unfair advantage.
“When the competition is over, we will decide on the merit or otherwise of what you have brought forward”.
He did, however, added that the ICPC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) already understood how to handle legitimate electoral petitions when necessary.
The chairman of the ICPC urged political parties to thoroughly investigate their candidates in the interest of the country, noting that a country’s fortune rested on the kind of leaders it elected.
We won’t investigate politicians accused of corruption until after election — ICPC
