By Waziri Isa Adam
The Member of House of Representatives and Chairman, House Committee on Basic Examinations Bodies, Hon. Oboku Oforji, facing allegations of running a multi-million-naira extortion racket against Nigeria’s top examination bodies (WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, & JAMB), has officially defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Hon Oforji is accused of aggressively demanding kickbacks from these agencies’ Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
When the exam bodies resisted, the Rep allegedly misused his oversight powers, hiring and instructing consultants to “find or fabricate” damaging evidence against uncooperative CEOs.
The timing, announced on the House floor by Speaker Hon. Tajudeen, is widely seen by analysts as a desperate, calculated maneuver to secure protection from the ruling party and evade his growing scandal.
The trend of politicians decamping from their parties to the ruling party, particularly in Nigeria, has raised concerns about the motivations behind such moves.
In many cases, politicians accused of corruption, fraud, or other wrongdoing usually decamp to join the ruling party to leverage its influence and avoid accountability.
This phenomenon is often driven by the desire to secure protection, influence investigations, maintain power and influence, and avoid electoral consequences.
Experts say this trend undermines democratic principles, as it allows safewarding corruption and undermining accountability.
“Politicians accused of wrongdoing should face the full force of the law, regardless of their party affiliation,” said a civil society activist.
“Decamping to the ruling party to escape accountability is a betrayal of public trust.” he stressed.
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