Ex-Rep Member Threatens Atiku’s Lobbyist With Legal Action, Rejects Tinubu Link
A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, has threatened legal action against Karl Von Batten, also known as Ikemefuna Okeke, over an X post he described as misleading, insisting that his petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was not politically motivated.
Agbonayinma, a member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), a Nigerian and a citizen of the United States of America, faulted the use of his photograph in a publication linking his 14-day ultimatum to the EFCC with President Bola Tinubu, rejected suggestions that he was acting on behalf of the president, the All Progressives Congress (APC) or any political interest.
In a statement made available to journalists on Thursday, the former lawmaker said the publication created a false impression about his identity, motives and involvement in the matter, warning that he would consider legal remedies over what he described as a misrepresentation of his position.
He maintained that his demand for the reopening of corruption allegations and reports involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was a personal initiative undertaken in the interest of accountability and the rule of law.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I did issue a 14-day ultimatum to the EFCC, calling on the commission to reopen the corruption allegations and reports involving Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. I stand by my call for accountability and the rule of law,” he said.
The former lawmaker, however, denied any connection with Tinubu or the APC in relation to the petition, stressing that he neither acted on the president’s behalf nor pursued the interests of any political party.
“My action was entirely personal, undertaken in my capacity as a Nigerian citizen who believes that allegations of financial impropriety involving public office holders deserve proper investigation,” he stated.
“Both the US senate, homeland security have conducted and concluded investigations. It is only left for the EFCC to do the right thing by prosecuting him,” Agbonayinma said.
He argued that the issues raised in his petition should not be reduced to partisan politics, insisting that allegations against public figures should be subjected to credible investigation irrespective of their political affiliations.
“My call for the reopening of Atiku Abubakar’s corruption reports is not about Tinubu, APC, PDP, ADC, NDC or any political party. It is about accountability, transparency and the principle that no individual should be above the law,” he added.
He urged the EFCC to determine the merits of the allegations through a transparent process, noting that the appropriate authorities should establish whether there were grounds for further investigation.
He also challenged Atiku’s legal team to address the substance of his petition rather than attribute political motives to his intervention.
Agbonayinma warned that the use of his photograph to advance what he considered a misleading narrative would not be treated lightly, adding that he was prepared to pursue legal action against those responsible for the publication.
Reaffirming his position, he said his intervention was driven by the need to promote accountability without fear or favour, irrespective of political considerations.
“I acted as a Nigerian, not as Tinubu’s representative. Let the record be clear,” he declared.