Baron Ike

More Nigerians have signed a petition on Change.org, calling on the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the All Progressives Congress national leader, Chief Bola Tinubu. As of Friday morning, the number of those who endorsed the petition had exceeded  16,000.

The petition, which was started a week ago by Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, had garnered 16, 243 signatures as of 9.30 am on Friday.

In the online petition, Omokri wants the EFCC to probe the APC chieftain “for contravening the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2011, by having bullion vans ferry alleged large sums of money into his house on the eve of the 2019 Presidential election.”

Omokri wrote: “Dear citizens of Nigeria, let’s take our country back by signing this petition to compel the EFCC to investigate and prosecute Bola Tinubu for contravening the Money Laundering Act, by ferrying bullion vans into his house. Don’t say ‘na today’, or ‘leave matter’.

“We as Nigerians must stop confusing cynicism for wisdom. If we do not fight for our country, who will? George Floyd’s death sparked a revolution in America and we joined. We did not say ‘na today’, or ‘leave matter’. You and I can make a difference with this petition. #EFCCMustInvestigateTinubu.”

Nigerians had criticized the ruling APC for not investigating Tinubu over the matter.

Tinubu was quoted to have said then that he was free to give anyone money because the money belonged to him.

“Is it my money or government money? I don’t work for the government. I am not in an agency of government and let anybody come out and say I have taken any contract from the government of President Mohammed Buhari, APC in the last five years”, the politician said while defending his action.

Also today, Omokri revealed on his Facebook page, his relentless efforts to have Tinubu probed by the EFCC.

“My petition has broken records in Nigeria. Let’s see if the EFCC will act or if they will bury their heads in the sand like an ostrich. Bola Tinubu, I am coming for you”, he said on his Facebook page.

The convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju had last year petitioned the EFCC to probe the source of the money conveyed in bullion vans to the home of Tinubu on the eve of the 2019 presidential election.