Nigerian president says no bias in his anti-graft drive

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari speaks at the United States Institutes of Peace on July 22, 2015, in Washington, DC
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Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari speaks at the United States Institutes of Peace on July 22, 2015, in Washington, DC (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)
Abuja (AFP) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday vowed not to interfere with the work of the country's anti-corruption bodies, after the opposition accused him of a "selective" crackdown on graft.
The 72-year-old leader, who has made the fight against corruption a key focus of his administration, "does not micro-manage or interfere in the daily work of Nigeria's anti-corruption agencies," his office said in a statement.
The statement denied an allegation by senators from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Buhari's government was "selective" and partisan in its anti-corruption crusade.
Buhari's "unwavering stance" is that whoever is charged with corruption should face the law, irrespective of their political leanings, the statement said.
"As far as the president is concerned, corruption has no political party, no religion and no ethnic group," it added.
Since taking office in May, Buhari has dismissed his entire military brass and sacked key officials of the country's giant NNPC oil firm in a bid to clamp down on graft.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, which manages the nation's multi-billion dollar oil industry, is widely considered to be one of the most corrupt state agencies and Buhari has launched a probe into its activities.
Anti-graft agencies and secret police have also invited for questioning some senior security and political leaders who served in the regime of former president Goodluck Jonathan (2011-2015).