THE federal government has said it won’t terminate the prosecution of those standing trial because they defected to the All Progressive Congress, (APC).

Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, stated this on Monday when he paid an official visit to the Abuja office of The Authority Newspaper.

The minister noted that those defecting from their various political parties to the ruling APC would not be immune from being prosecuted if they looted from the nation’s treasury.

He was actually reacting to insinuations in some quarters that the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswil Akpabio, was cross-carpeting from his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in order to escape being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Mr Akpabio, who represents Akwa Ibom North West District in the Senate, is a former governor of Akwa Ibom.

Mr Akpabio’s defection is surprising, coming at a time several APC leaders, including the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, have defected to the PDP.

“Nobody will escape investigation and prosecution on the ground that he or she has moved to APC,” Mohammed said.

“We have shown that with a former governor and a member of our party that was convicted. We will never terminate anybody’s prosecution on the ground of decamping.

“However, it is not for the executive to do the work of the judiciary,” he added.

The minister, however, said that many of the defections being witnessed were not premised on the allegation of escaping justice.

He said some defected for “political calculation and personal reasons.”

Share on:  Whatsapp  Twitter  Facebook