BY AHMED AKANBI
Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has said that the Court of Appeal ruling declaring Ibrahim Magu’s prolonged stay as Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, unlawful has vindicated the 8th Senate.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday, September 21, 2026, overturned a Federal High Court decision that upheld Magu’s continued stay in office, ruling that his tenure as acting chairman was unlawful after his nomination was twice rejected by the Senate.
Saraki recalled that the 8th Senate rejected Magu’s nomination in December 2016 and again in March 2017 after extensive screening.
According to him, the decisions were not politically motivated but were in line with the Senate’s constitutional duty to scrutinise presidential nominations.
He said members of the 8th Senate, their families and associates endured intense personal and public pressure over their stance, but stood by what they believed was right.
”Time ultimately tests convictions and reveals the importance of standing by principle,” Saraki said.
He recalled the difficult relationship between the 8th Senate and the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, noting that his tenure was marked by intense political disagreements.
The latest ruling has revived public debate over Saraki’s handling of the Magu nomination.
Magu served in acting capacity from 2015 until July 2020 when he was suspended.
For Saraki, the judgment is more than a legal victory, saying “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”