The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been given the green light by the Presidency, to investigate former President Goodluck Jonathan over his involvement in the ongoing arms deal probe.

The calls for Jonathan’s investigation is nearing fever pitch, as several Nigerians keep urging the EFCC to look into, among other things, his role in the alleged diversion of arms funds by officials of his administration.

Some of the suspects arrested in relation to the arms deal probe have at different instances, revealed in court or to the EFCC, that they got approval from the former President to carry out some transactions.

National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, who is being prosecuted for allegedly receiving N400m from the Office of the former National Security Adviser, said the fund was used to facilitate the last presidential campaign while urging the EFCC to call Jonathan as a witness.

Jonathan’s former Aide-de-Camp, Col. Ojogbane Adegbe, also revealed that he delivered packages containing money to chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, based on the instruction of the former president.

The former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), who is in the centre of the alleged diversion of $2.1bn meant for the procurement of arms, also said he got Jonathan’s approval for every disbursement he made.

In spite of all the mentions of Jonathan in witness statements and court sessions, the anti-graft agency has thus far, refused to invite him for questioning nor initiate prosecution against him.

However, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, revealed on Friday, that President Muhammadu Buhari does not have a secret pact with Jonathan to prevent the EFCC from probing him.

Adesina said the President has no intention to dictate to the EFCC how to run its affairs, having giving the agency the elbow room to prosecute anyone as deemed fit.

Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, also revealed to Punch Newspapers, that “there is no secret pact between President Buhari and any past President.”

“If you know or understand him, President Buhari is not the kind of person who will go into secret agreements. He is open about everything he does. The war against corruption is open-ended. Nobody knows how it will end.”

“But the President is not on a witch hunt. If you remember his acceptance speech after being announced as the winner of the 2015 general elections, he said without any equivocation that he would not victimise or subject anyone to witch hunt.”

“One thing very clear from the way he has carried on with the war against corruption is that past officials of government have a window to return looted funds to avoid investigation and trials which may be drawn out and sometimes inimical to the exercise. People can help themselves and help the country without being noisy about anything.”

“The President is aware that he is under watch, locally and internationally, in his handling of the war against corruption. Whatever international support he will get will depend on how open and effective his government is in carrying out the anti-graft war. To that extent, the war against corruption knows neither friend nor foe.”