Saraki Reacts as Court of Appeal Rules Ibrahim Magu's Acting EFCC Tenure Unlawful
- The Court of Appeal delivered a ruling on Ibrahim Magu's years-long tenure as acting EFCC Chairman without Senate confirmation
- Former Senate President Bukola Saraki said the 8th Senate rejected Magu's nomination twice, in 2016 and 2017, on constitutional grounds
- Saraki said he and his colleagues faced personal and public consequences for standing against Magu's continued stay in office
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
FCT, Abuja - The Court of Appeal has ruled that Ibrahim Magu's time as acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was unlawful, a decision that former Senate President Bukola Saraki said vindicates a stand he took nearly a decade ago.
Saraki, who led the 8th Senate, said his chamber rejected Magu's nomination as substantive EFCC Chairman on two separate occasions, in 2016 and 2017, on constitutional grounds.
Source: Twitter
Despite those rejections, Magu continued to serve in an acting capacity until July 2020, a period Saraki described as illegal.
Senate's rejection of Magu
The former Senate President said the decision to turn down Magu's nomination was never political.
He insisted the Senate was carrying out its constitutional duty, though critics at the time framed it as a power struggle.
This was contained in a statement issued via his X handle @bukolasaraki on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Saraki said the consequences of that stand were severe. He described what he called attempts by Magu to "terrorise" him, his colleagues, and their families and associates during that period.
"Doing what was right came at a huge personal and public cost," he said.
Saraki reacts to court ruling
Following the Court of Appeal's judgment, Saraki said he felt vindicated. He recalled the popular saying that "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice," pointing to the ruling as proof of that principle.
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"Nearly a decade later, I feel vindicated yet again," Saraki said
He added that the ruling reinforced his belief that time, while it may test a person's conviction, ultimately rewards those who stand on principle.
Magu was removed from the EFCC in July 2020 after a presidential panel probed allegations of misconduct against him.
He had never received Senate confirmation throughout his time heading the anti-corruption agency.
Saraki's alleged preferred 2027 presidential candidate disclosed
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Senator Saliu Mustapha alleged Saraki was supporting Tinubu's second-term bid through the Rainbow Coalition.
Mustapha, who dumped the APC for the PDP, said his defection was a collective decision by several Kwara political groups with grievances against the governor.
The senator confirmed the group's political battle was directly against Kwara governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq over the APC governorship nomination process.
Source: Legit.ng
