Constituents in Taraba South Senatorial District has said that the senator representing them in the National Assembly, Emmanuel Bwacha defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek immunity against prosecution over alleged corruption cases.
Bwacha had said that he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party over “division” in the Taraba State chapter of the opposition party and that he was deliberately isolated by its leadership in the state.
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Bwacha said he joined the APC to have a breath of fresh air, and because of the visible presence of the ruling party in his Senatorial District. He also said his constituents were happy about his defection because of what they have seen on the ground in Taraba South Senatorial District.
In a twist of event, Daniel Likam, the Coordinator of the Concerned Constituents of Taraba South Senatorial District, countered the senator’s claim, saying the lawmaker joined APC to shield himself from being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Briefing newsmen on Friday in Abuja, Likam said they had petitioned the EFCC over alleged mismanagement of constituency project funds by Senator Bwacha, which he said the anti-graft agency has since begun an investigation.
He appealed to the EFCC to continue with its investigation.
He said, “We want to make it very clear to the world that contrary to the speculation that he left the PDP in Taraba because he was not welcomed anymore in the party by our governor, we must say that his exit from PDP Taraba is never a problem to worry about.
“Rather he decamped to the APC due to the pressure of EFCC as other former corrupt PDP members did, a trend we are appealing to the President of Nigeria and APC national leadership not to entertain and welcome to the ruling party, people with such questionable records of financial misappropriation.
“The Senator has lost touch with the electorates who elected him. He is on his way out of politics and government that is why he is desperately seeking a soft landing from prosecution by joining the ruling party to get political immunity from an investigation by the hard-working EFCC who are already closing in on his case.”