Transparency International in Nigeria says EFCC chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa’s suspension did not come as a surprise because successive Nigerian governments often used the anti-corruption agency to settle political scores instead of tackling corruption.

Auwal Rafsanjani, the anti-corruption agency’s head in Nigeria

Rafsanjani, also the executive director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC), said this in an interview in Abuja.

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday announced the suspension of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman in a statement by the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF).

Mr Bawa was suspended based on “weighty allegations of abuse of office” levelled against him.

“The suspension did not come to us by surprise. This is because of the way and manner the previous regimes or governments have always removed the EFCC leaders when they come into power,” stated Mr Rafsanjani. “For this development, with regard to the removal of the EFCC chairman, we believe that already we knew that he was going to be removed because of so many political interests and changes that can happen.”

He said Mr Tinubu might not retain Bawa because of how he was appointed and his affiliation.

“He will want to get rid of anything that has to do with that. Also, there are some political interests, some politicians associated with the government also have issues with the current suspended EFCC chairman, and therefore, they are likely not to be comfortable to have him there,” added the Transparency International official in Nigeria.

Mr Rafsanjani noted that “the EFCC office has been unnecessarily made to be too much political,” making it “difficult to do what ordinarily government agency is supposed to do.”

“So, we need to look at it from that context and from that perspective, so I’m not surprised,” he said, however, stressing that ”what is important is that we must insist and demand that the anti-corruption and the good work of agencies, including EFCC must continue in the country.”

He also advised Mr Tinubu’s government to look beyond politics in appointing the next chairman of EFCC.

“In appointing the next one, I think first and foremost, let’s make that office to be a technical professional office. Let’s make it less political. Let us remove the use of that to settle political issues,” said Mr Rafsanjani.

He added, “I think we need to have a credibly experienced, fairly minded person to carry out that responsibility.”