Politics
Faroukgate: Another Political Legacy?
Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in Nigeria in 1999, the country had been exposed to various events at different levels of governance that unarguably qualify to be recorded as part of its legacy. More so when these events have to do with any arm of government, none the least the legislature, which should rightly be at the driver’s seat of governance.
One of such events is the on-going $3 million bribery scandal in the fuel subsidy probe involving Hon. Farouk Lawan, Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the probe of the fuel subsidy regime, and oil magnate, Femi Otedola, which has been christened “Faroukgate”.
As a major allegation on corruption in the National Assembly, Faroukgate has become one too many of such ignoble corruption cases seemingly being perpetrated in the First Estate of the Realm. There appears to be this persistent stench of corruption oozing from the National Assembly, particularly the House of Representatives in every given legislative year.
In fact, it is such that since the return of democratic rule in 1999, no dispensation has successfully ended without an awful event breaking out from the Green Chambers. Worst is the fact that the events are not palatable. If it does not bother on issues of certificate forgery, it is a bribery scandal or outright embezzlement of public funds which never got investigated beyond news breaks.
Beyond the thrills and frills that it affords the media which furnishes the populace of goings-on, these issues have continued to raise questions about the integrity and or maturity of those elected as lawmakers in Nigeria. Surprisingly, it started with the very first leadership of the House in the present political dispensation.
Hardly had the House been formally inaugurated in 1999 than the case of certificate forgery by the then Speaker, Alhaji Salisu Buhari erupted. The issue dragged on for some time before the Speaker was finally shoved aside. From then on, Buhari grew cold and lost his voice. To a considerable extent, it was not only his constituency that was brutally assaulted and embarrassed.
The integrity of the House and the country at large was also affected. Expectedly, there were rhetorical questions on the moral standing of the lawmaker to continue to enact laws in the “hallowed” chambers of the House. From the international perspective, Nigeria’s ability to formulate laws that could stand the test of time was also in question.
Shortly afterwards in 2007, the House boiled again. This time the protagonist was Mrs. Patricia Olubumi Etteh, the first female Nigerian Speaker of the House of Representatives. Despite making history as Nigeria’s first female speaker, Etteh, was hounded out of office over sundry allegations levelled against her and some principal officers of the House.
In September 2007, she faced a Committee of the House over accusations that she had authorised the spending of N628 million on renovations of her official residence and that of her deputy, as well as the purchase of 12 official cars. A vociferous campaign by the Integrity Group in the house eventually pushed her out of office.
Like, Buhari, the two personalities went so cold that throughout the life of that Assembly, much was not heard from them in terms of contributing to debates in the House. It was not until the twilight of that administration that Etteh briefly made headlines. She was purportedly cleared of the albatross on her neck, though this did not stamp any appreciable impact.
Alhajis Oladimeji Bankole and Usman Bayero Nafada took over as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively, but another corruption saga soon played out. A member of the House, Dino Melaye accused Bankole of siphoning the funds of the House. To the chagrin of all, the allegation generated so much dust that there were exchanges of physical blows in the House amongst the members.
The end of that tenure saw Bankole and Nafada behind bars as they were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and prosecuted later. Though Bankole and Nafada issue appeared controversial in the face of the ensued discrepancy between the EFCC and the court over their discharge and acquittal, most Nigerians still think that the duo will have to do more to erase the feelings of guilt and shame from the subconscious.
Similarly, Nigerians are yet to forget the circle of bribery scandal that rocked the House of Representatives in 2009 when the House set up a Committee to probe the nation’s Power sector. The Committee, headed by Ndudi Godwin Elumelu returned a damning verdict that about $16 billion spent on the sector by the Federal Government actually went down the drain.
The committee thus called for a cleansing of the sector. The Report was about to be debated when Elumelu was caught in the web of a N6 billion supplementary budget padding scam. Elumelu and Senator Nicholas Ugba, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power were eventually dragged to court after a brief detention by the EFCC.
Again, the public odium that emanated from the scandal virtually sealed the lips of Elumelu, who currently appears not to be in haste to discuss public issues. Not long ago, another member of the House of Representatives, Herman Hembe, set out in their usual over-sight function to investigate the “death” of stock exchange.
Surprisingly, a well intended and fact-finding probe ended up boomeranging on the lawmaker who was accused of being part of the rot in the system for allegedly demanding a bribe of N5 million from Otteh who was initially suspended but was last week reinstated as the Director-General of the Security Exchange Commission, SEC, though this did not go down well with majority of staff of SEC.
Hembe’s scandal had hardly died down when in the first week of June, 2012 what seemed to be the mother of all bribery scandals in the National Assembly hit the House. To a large extent, it turned out to buttress former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s accusation a week earlier that the country’s legislative arm is run by rogues who lacked integrity.
“Integrity is necessary for systems and institutions to be strong”, Obasanjo said, noting that “today rogues and armed robbers are in the State House of Assembly and National Assembly. What sort of laws would they make? The Judiciary is also corrupt. During my tenure (as President) many of the corrupt Judges were removed, some are still there”.
The news that the latest bribery scam involves Mr. Farouk Lawan, who is otherwise called “Mr. Integrity”, was one development that was extremely difficult for many people to comprehend.
Lawan , the moving spirit behind the Integrity Group that got Partricia Etteh out of office as Speaker, the smallish but intellectually sturdy man whose tiny voice smacks innocence and honesty, and who displays an admirable grasp of any issue he speaks on, was allegedly discovered to be the supreme “tax collector” in the Foroukgate scandal.
The fact that Lawan had been in the House of Representatives since the beginning of the present democratic dispensation in 1999, representing Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency of Kano State and had been a major factor in virtually all clean-up activities in the House intended to make it free of corruption, made it more difficult to believe.
The better part of his legislative duties had seen him heading many committees, including Finance, Education, Appropriation and subsidy probes. Some say these were compensatory measures to the roles he played in the installation of any given Speaker since the time of Bello Masari.
He is widely believed to be tipped as the next governor of Kano State come 2015. Beyond this, Lawan is also seen as the best northern candidate to vie for the Presidency in 2015.
At the heart of the present faroukgate imbroglio is Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited which was accused of collecting foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), but not importing any fuel. Nigerians were happy that Lawan was bold to name most dubious characters in the system that was milking the oil sector of the economy dry.
In a matter of hours, Femi Otedola, one of the oil magnates and owner of Zenon decided to let the lid open over what transpired between him and Lawan’s committee. According to him, initially, his company was amongst those black-listed to have illicitly dealt with the NNPC. But within a split of seconds, the company’s name got deleted from “the Black Book” and was cleared of all allegations by the Probes Panel. It was later to be known that a bribe of 3 million USD did the magic. The allegations and counter allegations that followed are now part of history, but like historians say, “not to learn from one’s past is to remain forever a child”.
Speaking recently on the matter, the former National Chairman of the All Nigeria Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, “definitely, the integrity of the National Assembly has been very seriously dented, although it is more pronounced in the House of Representatives than the Senate. The Farouk (Lawan) scandal is one scandal too many. I, therefore, suggest that more serious attention be paid on that House and its members in fighting against corruption”.
In the words of Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher, “we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit”.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh, the party said it had taken note of Mr Obi’s defection alongside some of his supporters, as well as what it called a “lacklustre speech” delivered by the former Anambra State governor at the defection event.
“We wondered what new he intends to sell to Nigerians,” the party said, adding that it was not surprised by the move, having “since September 2024, parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly.”
According to the statement, the faction said it had patiently awaited Mr Obi’s exit, describing it as a blessing.
“The party is finally liberated by this defection and as party leaders, we count it as a blessing,” the party said.
The faction further disclosed that it had previously urged Mr Obi and his supporters to leave if they were unable to work with the party leadership.
It claimed that several lawmakers had been suspended for anti-party activities and that similar action would have been taken against Mr Obi but for the intervention of “some well-meaning Nigerians.”
It also blamed its internal crisis on Mr Obi and Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, accusing them of sponsoring what it described as an insurrection against the Julius Abure-led leadership.
“The crisis we had in the Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and the Abia State governor, Alex Otti,” the statement alleged, adding that it was surprising Dr Otti had not followed Mr Obi out of the party despite his suspension.
Reacting to Mr Obi’s defection event in Enugu, the faction claimed the gathering was largely boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East, insisting that those present were “political spent forces who cannot win in their wards should there be an election today.”
It warned that this development signalled the failure of any future Mr Obi presidential or vice-presidential ambition, claiming he had “clearly lost the charm that had endeared him to the people prior to 2023.”
The faction also accused Mr Obi of misleading the South East during the 2023 elections, alleging that the region suffers political marginalisation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a result.
“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in President Ahmed Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in him in 2023,” the statement said, alleging disparities in ministerial appointments and infrastructure allocation to the zone.
The Abure-Led LP apologised to Nigerians for its decision in the last election.
“We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians,” the party said.
It urged Nigerians to watch out for a rebranded Labour Party, promising to present “the best prospect” capable of returning Nigeria to what it described as its “glorious days.”
steadily toward unity, justice, and shared prosperity”, he said.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, Dr Oluyede said the development came as a shock, stressing that INEC supervised and monitored the PDP governorship primary that produced him as the party’s candidate.
According to him, INEC officials documented the process, completed all required forms, and even affirmed his candidacy in court through sworn affidavits arising from cases linked to the primary election.
He maintained that no court order or injunction currently restrains INEC from listing his name as the PDP candidate, arguing that the electoral body lacks the constitutional power to determine who emerges as a party’s nominee.
Dr Oluyede described such decisions as the exclusive responsibility of political parties, not the electoral umpire.
While playing down panic over the released list, Dr Oluyede noted that electoral processes often involve reviews and corrections.
He disclosed that he had commenced wide consultations, including engagements with PDP leadership and formal correspondence with INEC, to seek clarification on the omission and determine the next line of action.
The PDP candidate assured his supporters across Ekiti State that he would appear on the ballot, expressing confidence that the situation would be resolved in his favour.
He described attempts to exclude candidates from elections as dangerous and undemocratic, warning that such tactics undermine the people’s right to freely choose their leaders.
Dr Oluyede called on the people of Ekiti to reject any form of disenfranchisement, insisting that elections should be contests of ideas, records, and acceptance by the electorate rather than exclusionary maneuvers.
He also declared that the PDP in Ekiti had resolved its past internal crises and was now united, focused, and ready to win the forthcoming governorship election.
He urged party members and supporters to remain calm and focused, expressing optimism that, with divine grace and the will of the people, the PDP would emerge victorious at the polls.
Mr Obi spoke while formally declaring for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at a well-attended event in Enugu on Wednesday, where he outlined what he described as a fresh roadmap for rescuing the country from its socio-economic challenges.
Addressing party members, supporters and other stakeholders, the former governor stressed that leadership must be driven by integrity and accountability, warning against the culture of double standards in public office.
“We cannot continue to deceive our people. Leadership is about telling the truth and leading by example. You cannot promise one thing in public and do another in private. That is not leadership, and that is not the change Nigeria needs”, Mr Obi said.
He maintained that genuine national rebirth would only be possible if entrenched wrongs were corrected, adding that governance must be guided by competence, discipline and a clear sense of purpose.
Mr Obi also underscored the need for fresh thinking in the nation’s political space, urging political actors to move away from recycled ideas that have failed to deliver sustainable development.
“We must come with new ideas,” he said, adding that “Nigeria’s problems are not mysterious; what has been lacking is the courage and competence to address them differently. We need a new approach that puts people first and focuses on production, not consumption.”
Calling for a broad based political collaboration, Mr Obi appealed to parties and stakeholders across ideological divides to work together in the national interest.
“This country is bigger than any party or individual. All parties must come together to change the present trend. What matters is not the platform, but the future of Nigeria and the wellbeing of its citizens”, he declared.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Mr Obi challenged aspirants seeking elective offices to ensure transparency in their credentials, warning that the era of falsified certificates was drawing to a close.
“Anyone contesting for any position in 2027 must come with genuine certificates. All the machinery is now in place to verify what is genuine and what is not. Integrity must start from the very foundation of leadership”, he stated.
Drawing lessons from international development models, Mr Obi cited Rwanda and Indonesia as examples of countries that rose from difficult beginnings to become thriving economies through disciplined leadership and sound policies.
“These countries were once behind us,” he noted, adding that “Today, they are moving ahead because they chose competent leadership, clear vision and policies that support local production and human capital development.”
He also criticised the economic policies of the present administration, particularly the continued importation of food items that can be produced locally, describing such practices as inimical to national development.
“You cannot grow an economy by killing local production. Importing food that we can produce in Nigeria destroys jobs, weakens our farmers and drains our foreign exchange. A serious country must produce what it consumes”, he argued.
The event featured renewed calls from ADC supporters for sustained engagement and mobilisation, as Mr Obi reiterated his belief that Nigeria remains redeemable if led with honesty, competence and a commitment to shared national progress.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, expressed confidence in the emerging coalition, assuring Nigerians that the party would deliver good governance at all levels of administration if entrusted with power.
The gathering also witnessed the defection of several prominent politicians from different political parties across the South-East and beyond.
The motion endorsing the defection was moved by a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and seconded by former economic adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Osita Ogbu.
Goodwill messages from notable political figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Mrs. Aisha Yesufu, Chief Sam Egwu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Achike Udenwa, Mr Onyema Ugochukwu and Senator Gilbert Nnaji among others, further underscored the growing momentum within the ADC.
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