The Executive Secretary of the Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative (ARDI), Dennis Aghanya, has denied allegations that the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari used him to remove the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, from office ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Aghanya, who filed the petition that triggered the proceedings against Onnoghen over alleged false asset declarations, alleged that security agencies investigated and had facts about Onnoghen and other matters affecting high-profile individuals, but buried them and refused to act.
Speaking for the first time in eight years in a podcast interview on “Deep Insight With Agbonsuremi,” Aghanya said ARDI’s investigation was not politically motivated but was based on evidence obtained in the course of its work and was not targeted at Onnoghen as an individual.
He said his organization’s mandate was to investigate issues of public interest and submit its findings to relevant authorities, stressing that law enforcement agencies were responsible for determining what action to take on such reports.
“I want you to know, it is not me, Dennis, it is the NGO. I am the executive secretary of the NGO. A lot of people are involved,” Aghanya said.
He explained that ARDI conducts evidence-based investigations aimed at strengthening the fight against corruption, insisting that the organization did not select its targets based on political affiliation, friendship or personal interests.
“Corruption should not be fought on a personal basis. The fight against corruption should be fair. It shouldn’t be motivated by either political affiliations or things of that nature,” he said.
Aghanya dismissed suggestions that the petition’s proximity to the 2019 presidential election indicated a political motive.
According to him, the investigation that eventually led to the petition had been ongoing for more than one year before the petition was filed.
He said the investigation began amid concerns about the perceived failure of institutions, particularly the judiciary, to adequately address corruption-related issues.
“That’s a very funny perception by whoever shares that view because this particular issue… was something we had been on for more than one year,” he said.
Aghanya also rejected claims that he was acting on behalf of the Buhari administration, recalling his previous political relationship with the former president but saying their relationship had ended years before the Onnoghen controversy.
He disclosed that he was formerly Buhari’s media spokesperson under the All Nigeria Peoples Party and later became the pioneer National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change.
However, he said he fell out with the CPC leadership after challenging Buhari in court over issues within the party.
“By 2011, we had rumbles in CPC, and we parted ways. That was the last time I had contact with, not just Buhari, but also some other people close to him,” Aghanya said.
He therefore dismissed suggestions that the former president or his administration had used him to achieve a political objective.
“How can somebody that was… I had the guts to go to court against Buhari… So, how can I… after that I never had the opportunity to have anything in common with Buhari,” he said.
Aghanya further defended the integrity of ARDI’s investigation, saying the organization had forwarded its findings to the appropriate authorities and that the Code of Conduct Bureau’s subsequent decision to prosecute Onnoghen was not within ARDI’s control.
He said critics had focused too much on the eventual outcome of the case instead of examining the evidence in ARDI’s report.
“Everybody is focusing on whether the CCB prosecuted or not; that is not an issue to us. The issue to us, which everybody should be concerned about, is that we carried out an investigation based on facts and evidence, and we forwarded it,” he said.
Asked whether he had apologized to Onnoghen following the former CJN’s removal from office and the eventual collapse of the case at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Aghanya said he saw no reason to apologise.
“Why? Why the apology?” he asked, arguing that the outcome of the tribunal proceedings did not invalidate ARDI’s investigation.
He maintained that ARDI did not target Onnoghen personally and that its concern was the effectiveness of Nigeria’s institutions in tackling corruption.
“We didn’t target Onnoghen as an individual. Our investigation was not targeted at Onnoghen as an individual. So whether he was cleared or was not cleared shouldn’t be a concern to us,” he said.
Aghanya also claimed that some of the information obtained during the investigation indicated that certain agencies had previously gathered information concerning Onnoghen but failed to act on it.
According to him, ARDI’s intervention helped bring the information to the attention of the relevant authorities.
He described the fight against corruption in Nigeria as a “double-edged sword,” saying those who attempt to expose corruption can themselves face threats and opposition.
“We know that fighting corruption is not easy. It’s a double-edged sword. As you’re fighting corruption, corruption is fighting you back,” he said.
Aghanya disclosed that he and ARDI received threats following the Onnoghen controversy and alleged that the fallout also affected his family relationships.
He said he lost a relationship with a cousin whom he had known since childhood because of disagreements arising from the controversy.
The ARDI executive secretary also said the organization received no financial assistance or official commendation from the government for its role in the matter, despite claims by some Nigerians that it had acted as an instrument of the administration.
“To date, not even a commendation letter has come. I never expected the government, but maybe some of the anti-corruption agencies. I see people being honoured and things like that. Not even a commendation letter has come to ARDI for a job, a good job well done,” he said.
He, however, said the absence of official recognition had not made him regret his decision to engage in anti-corruption advocacy.
Asked whether, with the benefit of hindsight, he wished ARDI had not filed the petition, Aghanya said no.
“Why should I regret a wonderful job we did?” he asked.
He described the controversy surrounding Onnoghen as unfortunate but maintained that the fight against corruption should not be subjected to exceptions based on the personality involved.
“It was unfortunate. But the fight against corruption should not be; there shouldn’t be an exception. That is, I think, that should be the lesson from what we did,” he said.
Aghanya urged Nigerians to investigate issues before reaching conclusions, particularly regarding the circumstances surrounding the Onnoghen case.
He said anyone who believed ARDI’s findings were manipulated should examine the evidence contained in the organization’s report and determine whether it justified the action taken by the relevant authorities.
“Always investigate before you draw conclusions. The job we did, we did it in good faith,” he said.
He also criticised what he described as a lack of political will to fight corruption in Nigeria, alleging that anti-corruption investigators are sometimes discouraged when their investigations touch powerful interests.
According to him, Nigeria’s corruption problem cannot be solved if citizens continue to defend public officials based on political affiliation, religion, ethnicity or personal relationships.
He said Nigerians should instead focus on the merits of allegations and the effectiveness of institutions established to fight corruption.
Aghanya further disclosed that ARDI remains active in anti-corruption investigations, although its activities have reduced compared with previous years.
He attributed part of the reduction to discouragement arising from the Onnoghen controversy as well as health challenges that kept him away for some time.
He insisted, however, that his involvement in anti-corruption activities was not motivated by financial gain.
“If what I did was based on my expectations for payment, I’m not a small boy. We would sit down and talk and bargain, and you’ll pay me before I’ll do it,” he said.
Aghanya said his involvement in the anti-corruption campaign was driven by personal conviction, adding that he would not regret his role in the Onnoghen matter.
“I cannot have regrets because it was personal conviction. That’s why I don’t regret it,” he said.
Deep Insight With Agbonsuremi is a Podcast dedicated to deepening democracy and governance in Nigeria and anchored by veteran journalist Augustine Okhiria Agbonsuremi.
