APC rejects Banire’s offer to resign as national legal adviser

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the offer by its National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire (SAN) to step aside pending the outcome of the investigation into allegation of alleged corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The party said the offer by Banire to step aside and submit himself to investigation by the anti-graft agency was an exemplary representation of the party.

In a letter to Banire, signed by the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the party said that at the National Working Committee of the party resolved to unanimously reject the offer to step aside.

Banire had about three weeks ago written to step down as the party’s National Legal Adviser following an investigation launched by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), into a gift of N500,000 given to an old friend, who sought his financial assistance to defray part of the burial expenses of his late mother about three years ago.

The letter obtained last night by The Nation said “after intense discussion, the NWC unanimously decided not to accept your offer to step aside as the National Legal Adviser.”

According to the party, the decision to reject the offer to step aside is hinged on the fact that Banire’s offer is “inappropriate since your responsibility as the National Legal Adviser of our party will not, in any way, impede any ongoing investigation by the EFCC, more so, as the allegation has no nexus with the party.

“The party is currently saddled with a number of sensitive litigations and your role in professionally handling the ongoing cases is critical. The NWC is of the view that we keep to the credo of our jurisprudence where an accused is considered innocent until otherwise proven guilty by a competent jurisdiction. In this case you have not even been accused”.

The party however sought for Banire’s understanding of its decision to refuse his offer to resign from the NWC.