The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Sunday, traded verbal missles on the resignation of Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, and the former’s call on security agencies to track election finances of opposition politicians particularly of the latter party.
While the APC asked relevant agencies in the country to track election finances of opposition politicians, particularly those of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and also described the resignation of Kemi Adeosun as minister of finance an an act of honour, strength, character and integrity, the PDP said both the APC and President cannot speak of integrity and honour until Adeosun was arrested and prosecuted.
PDP also said the APC could not speak of honour and integrity until Adams Oshiomhole, its chairman, was investigated and prosecuted for financial impropriety during the period he ran the affairs of Edo State as governor.
But APC in a statement signed by its spokesman, Yekini Nabena, Sunday alerted Nigerians to the plot by some partisans to buy up votes during the elections.
While it recalled the successes of the anti-corruption fight of President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the party noted: “Sadly, these thieves have resurfaced to canvass votes of Nigerians for various elective positions, ostensibly to resume their stealing. Nigerians are neither gullible nor stupid. ”They have not forgotten the yoke they bore under the corrupt Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, regimes and deserve no more of it.
“Public funds that could have improved the education, healthcare sectors and provided infrastructure to develop the economic and social life of Nigerians are sadly in the pockets of these thieves.
“While we alert Nigerians to the plot of some politicians to buy votes and deploy other illegal means to subvert the people’s will during the coming elections, we urge relevant agencies to be proactively involved in tracking of election financing.
”The same people who criminally diverted public monies to fund their political activities as brazenly displayed during past administrations, must be prevented from doing same in coming elections.”
According to the APC, under President Buhari’s administration, the scale of recoveries from corrupt elements in the past three years by the country’s anti-graft agencies is a testament that the administration’s extensive anti-corruption drive is yielding results.
“Compared to the past, successful prosecution of many corrupt persons, the hugely-successful whistle-blowing policy and voluntary return of corruptly-acquired funds and assets have shown that it is no longer business as usual and corruption is increasingly becoming unacceptable.
“Corruption can no longer define how we do things as a country. There is a new realization among well-meaning Nigerians that if we don’t kill corruption, it will kill us.
“Recently, the media space has been awash with a campaign of calumny against the anti-corruption efforts by the same opposition partisans and their proxies that ruined the country with their institutionalized corruption. This is expected as corruption will naturally fight back,” the party added.
Meanwhile, the party has described weekend’s resignation of Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, an act of honour, strength, character and integrity.
In her resignation letter to the President, Adeosun admitted that her National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, exemption certificate was forged.
The party’s spokesman, Yekini Nabena, who said this in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, said: “Like all responsive and responsible governments concerned about the truth and due process, the federal government undertook diligent investigation of the allegation.
”Now that the report of the investigation is out, the right thing has been done. The honorable minister has taken the path of honour and resigned. We congratulate Mrs. Adeosun for her action.
“In President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration of integrity and transparency in the conduct of public affairs, no officer of government with a modicum of questionable conduct or integrity should stay in office.
“In past PDP-led administrations, the country was held down by corrupt and irresponsible public officers who refused to honour invitations of the National Assembly; closed down national airports against perceived political adversaries; bought luxurious bullet-proof vehicles with public funds at inflated prices; locked out National Assembly members, forcing federal lawmakers to climb high barricades in order to assess the legislative chamber.
“It was these acts of corruption, impunity, irresponsibility and executive rascality that made Nigerians vote in President Buhari in 2015, with its Change mantra to put a stop to such undemocratic practices.
“We wish Mrs. Adeosun every success in her future endeavors and join President Buhari in appreciating her immense contributions to the stability of the economy in the past three and half years.”
Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday berated President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC, for apparently seeking to take credit for the resignation of Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, over alleged forgery of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Exemption Certificate.
According to PDP, both cannot speak of honour and integrity unless Adeosun is arrested and investigated and APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, investigated and prosecuted for alleged financial misconducts during his stewardship as governor of Edo State.
The party also accused the Presidency of failing to prevail on security agencies to promptly arraign Adeosun, given its stand on rooting out all forms and shapes of corruption.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, also tasked Police authorities to bring back the former Minister to answer to all kinds of financial crimes committed by the present administration.
He said: “The Presidency and the APC could not even sacked Adeosun until those who brought her to the federal cabinet asked her to resign. Is it no shameful and unfortunate that the act was left untreated for about 69 days?
“We’ve earlier alerted Nigerians on a plan to fly the former Minister out of the country but her resignation is not even enough. The PDP is saying she must be prosecuted and if found guilty, must be made to face justice.
“She will also have to tell the world what she knew about the financial shenanigans allegedly perpetrated by this administration since it came on board in 2015.
“We are demanding for the investigation of the alleged misdeeds of the APC national chairman, Mr. Oshiomhole whose stewardship as Edo State government has been put on the spotlight for a while now. Until this is done, APC and the Presidency can’t speak on honour, character and integrity.”
On the call by the ruling party on the security agencies to look into the finances of opposition political parties, ahead of the polls, the party scribe said: “The rules of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Electoral Act are clear on party finances and funding.
”Anything outside of these will not be acceptable. The APC and the Presidency should be told that they can’t intimidate opposition parties ahead of the polls.
“Their plan to have President Buhari as the sole candidate in the 2019 election will not be acceptable.”
