Prince Abubakar Audu, former governor of Kogi state, could be rightly described as one of the eminent Nigerians that midwived the birth of the third republic.
After the long years of military rule, Prince Audu worked with other Nigerians to nurture our nascent democracy. Many committed and forward looking politicians formed political parties. One of such parties was the All Peoples Party (APP).
Prince Audu was among those who made physical and monetary contributions to make his party, APP. As a token for his immeasurable contribution, the people of Kogi state voted for him en masse in 1999 and he became the chief executive of the state between 1999 and 2003, having had a stint in the same office for about two years on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) between 1991 and 1992.
An high born Igala man, Prince Audu who hails from Ogbonicha, Ofu Local Government, Kogi East Federal Constituency, Kogi state had a lot of landmarks during his tenures as number one citizen in the state and it is unarguable that none of his predecessors or successors in office had equaled his performance. His footprints in all spheres like education, agriculture, transportation, housing and other infrastructural development speak positively in volumes for him.
Despite all the aforementioned Audu’s contributions, among others, some hawks within and outside the state are calling for his head, they want the prince to be roasted and hounded in jail, and if possible be there eternally.
But the case of Audu can be likened to that of a man of God who cannot be harmed by all forms of weapons fashioned against him by the agents of the devil.
Shortly after the prince’s tenure in 2003 all sorts of trumped up and phony allegations of embezzlement, misappropriation, misapplication and mismanagement of the state funds were leveled against him. Indeed, there was avalanche of charges brought against him by the EFCC.
Over the years the EFCC has been moving from one court to the other, what in the legal parlance called shopping around. By the time Audu’s cases are all out of courts, he may add to hues sobriquet as the most tried and vilified ex-governor in Nigeria.
Come to think of it, no fewer than four courts had heard Audu’s matter in Kogi state and none of them could nail the former governor because of lack of merit in the cases, many of which were brought against him in bad faith.
It is noteworthy that two of the EFCC’s witnesses had cause to say in the open court that they were either forced or paid to testify against Alhaji Audu.
It is against this background that I am writing this open letter to the EFCC chairman to look dispassionately at the allegations leveled against this gentleman with a view to stopping the cases once and for all. After all, prosecution is different from persecution. Please stop persecuting Prince Audu.
Barrister Aisha Mohammed,
Abuja
