Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has said the Court of Appeal judgment declaring Ibrahim Magu’s prolonged tenure as acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) unlawful has vindicated the decision of the 8th Senate to reject his nomination. Saraki stated this in a post on his official X account, recalling the Senate’s …
Appeal Court Ruling on Magu Proves 8th Senate Right, Says Saraki
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has said the Court of Appeal judgment declaring Ibrahim Magu’s prolonged tenure as acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) unlawful has vindicated the decision of the 8th Senate to reject his nomination.
Saraki stated this in a post on his official X account, recalling the Senate’s rejection of Magu’s nomination as substantive EFCC Chairman in 2016 and 2017.
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According to him, the Senate’s decision was based on its constitutional responsibility and was not politically motivated, as critics had alleged at the time.
‘We Stood by What Was Right’
Saraki said members of the 8th Senate, their families and associates faced what he described as attempts by Magu to intimidate them over the rejection.
“It is often said that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” Saraki wrote.
He said the Senate had rejected Magu’s nomination twice but that he remained in office as acting EFCC chairman until July 2020 without Senate confirmation.
“At the time, some called our decision political. It wasn’t. We were simply exercising our constitutional duty and standing by what was right,” he said.
Saraki added that the decision came at a high personal and public cost for members of the Senate.
‘I Feel Vindicated’
Reacting to the Court of Appeal judgment, the former Senate President said the ruling, delivered nearly a decade after the initial controversy, had vindicated the position taken by the 8th Senate.
“Yesterday, the Court of Appeal ruled that Magu’s prolonged tenure as acting EFCC Chairman was indeed unlawful,” he said.
“Nearly a decade later, I feel vindicated yet again.”
Saraki said the episode reinforced his belief that public officials must remain committed to principle even when their decisions attract criticism.
“For those of us who have had the privilege of serving this nation, the deepest lesson in all of this is that time may test one’s conviction, but it always ultimately reveals the value of standing on principle,” he said.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
