The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Niger State, Alhaji Tanko Beji, has been arrested by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Tanko Beji was reportedly invited to the Abuja office of the EFCC on Thursday, for interrogation on his role in the last PDP administration in the state.
However, a source close to the chairman told our correspondent that his travail may be political, adding that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration in the state was not comfortable with the mounting criticisms of its programmes and policies by Beji.
He alleged that elements within the government had “complained to the power that be at the centre that Beji was using the media to intimidate and harass the APC administration in the state.”
“It was on the strength of this complaint that Tanko Beji was invited to Abuja for questioning by the EFCC,” the source said.
Our correspondent learnt that at the centre of Beji’s arrest was an alleged N97 million advanced to the campaign organization to prosecute the election of the former governor.
It was gathered that the chairman would be arraigned alongside the former governor and his former Chief of Staff, Alhaji Umar Mohammed Nasko in amended charges on Monday.
However when contacted, the Commissioner of Information, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, said the state government has no hand in Beji’s travail.
“To say that Beji was arrested because of his criticism of the APC-led administration in the state is laughable because EFCC only goes after financial crimes,” he said.
He said Beji like many PDP stalwarts “is being haunted by his past”.
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