By Debo Popoola
Nuhu Ribadu made a name for himself when he was the chairman of Economic and Financial Crime Commission, during the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. He was regarded as a fearless person who was never shy of stepping on toes, especially the big ones.
During his time as the EFCC chairman, Ribadu spearheaded the conviction of former Inspector General of the Police, Tafa Balogun and other top politicians like the late former governor of Bayelsa state, Dipreye Alamieyesiagha. His fight against corruption was praised both home and abroad and he became the anticorruption postal boy of Obasanjo’s administration All these and many more earned Ribadu the super cop sobriquet.
During his time as the EFCC boss, Ribadu was largely accused of only playing the tunes dictated by his paymaster then. He was accused of serving as an instrument of witch-hunting by Obasanjo because majority of those convicted by the EFCC then had had issues with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
In 2011, Nuhu Ribadu became the presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria. His anti-corruption antecedents were largely used as the party’s selling point then, but he lost the election to PDP’s Goodluck Jonathan.
Ever since, Ribadu remained politically inactive until last years when he decided to leave the then opposition party, APC, to join the then ruling PDP. This move was regarded by many as a wrong move in wrong direction. The PDP was largely losing public acceptance during this time and many believed that the party was going to lose gallantly in the coming poll. Ribadu’s reputation of being fearless in fighting corruption and his joining of PDP many believed to be constituted by corrupt politicians made many to doubt his personality of being incorruptible.
During the last election, Ribadu contested for the gubernatorial election of Adamawa state and lost to the APC candidate.
Nuhu Ribadu recently held a private meeting with a former Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande at his residence in Ila-Orangun and discussed with him for a few hours. The visit had sparked rumour of the possibility of the defection of the former anti-graft boss to the ruling APC. Ribadu visited Akande in company with the National Secretary of the APC, Mai Bala Buni.
