President Muhammadu Buhari said Thursday that joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by corrupt politicians would not save them from prosecution by anti-graft agencies.
The President said this while fielding questions in an interview with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) monitored in Abuja.
“I don’t like to accept that joining our party will check our insistence on accountability. We are very serious about people who aspire to lead at whatever level by their performance, by their integrity both professional and personal.
“But the problem is that we have to work within the system. Even if you suspect individuals, unless there is evidence, there isn’t much we can do. So, really, it is the system that makes it possible for some people really to even be corrupt,” he said.
When asked whether the defectors would not be allowed to go scot-free, the President said: “They can’t. Nobody can go scot-free as far as I’m concerned. Imagine what the opposition could do to me if there is something along my record, a lot of confusion could have been caused.
“But luckily I think we try to find officers with integrity and that is the best thing for Nigeria leadership at all levels. Behave with integrity.
“If that is done, we will achieve better results. If that is not done, a lot of time will be wasted in talking, quarreling and a lot of noise,” he said.
