The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been instructed by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, to pursue all special delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the just concluded presidential primary election in Abuja.

The organisation also criticised the process that resulted in former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar being chosen as the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said Atiku’s emergence had been allegedly harmed by inappropriate monetisation, and that the candidate had given their candidate seat to the highest bidder.

The rights advocacy group said it was unfortunate that anti-graft operatives just showed up at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja for the primaries election as if they didn’t know that bribery of delegates had already taken place elsewhere, as is customary.

The EFCC was chastised by the organisation for failing to use intelligence skills to catch both suspected bribe givers and receivers.

Some northern hopefuls allegedly paid at least $35,000 each to delegates for the presidential primary, and the charge of bribery has yet to be refuted by those implicated.

Atiku, on the other hand, won the election, garnering 371 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who received 237 votes.

HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “Nigerians were shocked at the corruption fiesta called PDP presidential primary on Sunday night.”

Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and billionaire Mohammed Hayatu-Deen both dropped out of the PDP presidential primary, claiming that the party had monetized the process, proving that the presidential primary was nothing but corruption carnival.

HURIWA further stated that it strongly criticises the EFCC’s deception in claiming that it was unaware that bribes had been exchanged.

As reported in various media sources, anti-graft agents rushed the main venue, and HURIWA said it noticed that money was still being exchanged. “How terrible!” HURIWA exclaimed, “urging the EFCC’s upper echelons in Abuja to prosecute the more than 700 delegates who voted on Saturday and Sunday.”