Former member of the House of Representatives, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, has hit back at Senator Dino Melaye over his criticism of the petition filed against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, challenging him to address the substance of the allegations rather than resort to personal attacks.
Recall that Senator Dino Melaye, in response to Agbonayinma’s petition in a viral video, described it as “shameful”, alleging that the matter raised against Atiku had been previously investigated and dismissed more than 10 years ago.
The former Kogi lawmaker also questioned Agbonayinma’s political antecedents, alleging that he approached him personally and pleaded to become a member of the ADC.
But Agbonayinma, in a statement released on Saturday made available to newsmen in Benin, said Melaye’s claim that he was seeking to join the ADC was false, insisting that he is a member of the National Democratic Congress.
He described the claim as “either a deliberate falsehood or simply a reflection of how poorly informed” Melaye was about his current political affiliation.
The former lawmaker said he petitioned the EFCC in his capacity as a Nigerian concerned about public accountability, stressing that allegations of corruption should be investigated by the appropriate anti-graft agency.
Agbonayinma further accused Melaye of attempting to shield Atiku from scrutiny through political loyalty and personal attacks.
“Rather than attacking my person, character and integrity, why not address the substance of the petition?” he asked, urging Melaye to allow the EFCC to perform its statutory responsibilities.
“You cannot defend Atiku Abubakar from an EFCC petition by attacking me,” he said, adding that if the former Vice President had nothing to fear, he should be allowed to respond to any questions the commission considered necessary.
Reacting to Melaye’s description of him as “unstable”, Agbonayinma dismissed the remark as a childish insult, saying, “My record in public service speaks for itself, and I am prepared to defend my integrity anywhere.”
He also challenged Melaye to produce the official EFCC decision or court record supporting his claim that the matter had been thrown out more than 10 years ago.
The former House of Representatives member declared that he was not intimidated by Melaye’s noise, theatrics or personal attacks, insisting that the controversy should be settled through evidence.
Agbonayinma urged Melaye to stop what he termed political pettiness and focus on the facts, warning that Nigerians would judge the conduct of those involved in the controversy.
“If you have evidence against me, bring it forward. If you have facts concerning the petition, present them. Defend the facts, not personalities,” he added.
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