Scandalous Claims Dismissed! EFCC Debunks ‘Secret Meeting’ with Powerful Governors

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has firmly refuted allegations that its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, held a covert meeting with two South-South governors just 48 hours before their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This denial follows claims made by Paul Ibe, spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today. Ibe alleged that Olukoyede, along with the Solicitor General, secretly met with a current and former South-South governor shortly before they joined the ruling party.

The governors mentioned — Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa — reportedly defected to the APC in April 2025. According to Ibe, the alleged meeting took place at a government lodge in the South-South region.

In a statement released on Friday, the EFCC expressed strong displeasure over what it termed “baseless and fabricated claims,” stressing that the accusations were entirely false and damaging to the image of its Chairman.

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is incensed by the baseless allegations made by Mr. Paul Ibe, spokesperson to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, suggesting that Executive Chairman Ola Olukoyede held a secret meeting with a politician,” the statement read.

The Commission reiterated that Olukoyede has consistently affirmed his apolitical stance and his commitment to preserving the EFCC’s non-partisan integrity.

“Olukoyede has repeatedly emphasized in various public engagements that he remains apolitical, and the EFCC is institutionally structured to avoid any partisan bias,” the agency noted.

The EFCC urged Nigerians to disregard the claims, dismissing them as a product of fiction and speculation.