Onokpasa Rebukes Onanuga for Alleged Misrepresentation of President Tinubu’s Role in Yahaya Bello’s EFCC Case

Jesutega Onokpasa, a leading figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ardent supporter of President Bola Tinubu, has taken issue with recent comments by Bayo Onanuga, one of the President’s spokespersons. Onokpasa accused Onanuga of creating a misleading impression regarding President Tinubu’s alleged involvement in the EFCC’s legal proceedings against former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

In a statement released on Thursday, Onokpasa, who also chairs the Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG), criticized Onanuga for seeming overly focused on the legal challenges facing Bello, rather than allowing the judiciary to address the matter. He argued that Onanuga’s statements could lead the public to believe that President Tinubu was behind the EFCC’s actions against Bello.

“Contrary to Onanuga’s implications, Yahaya Bello is not hiding under anyone’s ‘agbada,’ but is instead standing firm in court, seeking to protect his legal rights,” Onokpasa clarified.

Onokpasa’s reaction followed an interview in which Onanuga reportedly stated that Bello was “hiding under the agbada” of his successor, Governor Usman Ododo. Onokpasa countered that Onanuga and his interviewer, Laolu Akande, appeared to lack an understanding of the legal process and mistakenly implied Bello was evading justice. He noted that Bello had voluntarily appeared at EFCC headquarters, only to be later confronted in an unusual manner by the agency’s officials, which he saw as politically motivated.

Onokpasa further asserted that the EFCC has drifted from its anti-corruption mandate, describing it as a “political tool” used to target opponents. He also questioned why Onanuga repeatedly intervened in the case, which, he suggested, could give the impression that President Tinubu was influencing Bello’s legal challenges.

“We are a nation of laws, and Yahaya Bello is following the judicial process,” Onokpasa emphasized, adding that Bello deserves the right to a fair hearing without undue interference or speculative narratives in the court of public opinion.

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