Nigeria’s federal government accused three state governors from the ruling party of corruption on Thursday as a politically sensitive anti-graft campaign widened ahead of elections in April.
In papers filed with a code of conduct tribunal, the federal government accused the three of acquiring assets above their means and of failing to declare those assets.
The move comes a day after the government’s main anti-corruption agency made public a list of 130 candidates, including Vice President Atiku Abubakar, whom it said were unfit to hold office and should be stopped from running in April.
The intensifying campaign against corruption has sparked a fierce debate in Nigeria at a sensitive time, less than three months before elections that should mark the first democratic transition from one civilian government to another.
President Olusegun Obasanjo says his government is simply fighting graft, but many critics say the state’s anti-corruption agencies are used as a political weapon against people who are either opponents of the president or just not useful to him.
The three governors accused on Thursday are Sam Egwu of southeastern Ebonyi state, Chimaroke Nnamani of southeastern Enugu state, and George Akume of central Benue state.
All three are members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Nnamani and Akume wish to stand for senators’ seats in April’s elections, while Egwu is the coordinator of the PDP presidential candidate’s campaign in the southeast.
The code of conduct tribunal is due to hear the allegations against them on February 14.
State governors, who have discretionary powers over millions of dollars of public funds, were once seen as untouchable but that has changed over the past year and a half with a rash of impeachments.
These have prompted widespread accusations that governors are being targeted because it is politically expedient ahead of the elections, while others whose records are equally dubious are left undisturbed.
Governors have immunity from prosecution while in office, although they lose it if they are impeached. In theory, the code of conduct tribunal can suspend them, although this has never been tested.
The papers filed to the code of conduct tribunal listed dozens of properties and companies owned by the three governors in Nigeria and abroad, which put together were worth millions of dollars.
“You acquired properties in Nigeria and outside the shores of Nigeria over and above your legitimate income and earnings,” the papers said in the case of two of the governors. The third had assets only in Nigeria.