The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has welcomed President Muhammadu Buhari’s renewed declaration to jail treasury looters, urging him to show exemplary leadership by starting with immediate investigation and prosecution of Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC).
PDP also tasked Buhari to commence immediate probe of sacked Director-General of the Department of State Security, DSS, Lawal Daura, and a host of others persons indicted for corruption.
The party equally challenged President Buhari to allow an investigation into the alleged stealing of billions of naira by his allies and party chieftains, including his former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, and Professor Yusuf Usman, the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.
In a statement by the party’s spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP asked the Commander-in-Chief to immediately swing into action by picking the former Edo State governor.
The statement reads, “President Buhari should immediately allow the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to commence Oshiomhole’s investigation, which had been stalled, despite his indictment in management of Edo State resources.
“The PDP challenges President Buhari to allow an investigation into the alleged frittering of over N11 trillion in the petroleum sector, under his direct supervision as minister, including the alleged N9 trillion illegal oil contract as detailed in the leaked Presidency memo, the alleged N1.4 trillion corrupt subsidy regime and alleged diversion of N1.1 trillion worth crude oil, using 18 illegal companies allegedly linked to Presidency cabal and APC chieftains.
“The President should also allow the investigation of his ministers who, as former governors, were indicted for stealing billions of naira belonging to their states, particularly, a former governor, who was indicted by his state for allegedly diverting over N40 billion to finance APC’s 2015 presidential campaign.
“Mr. President must also investigate how billions of naira allegedly moved from parastatals under the Petroleum Ministry to finance the failed attempt to change the leadership of the National Assembly as well as the certificate scandals among his ministers and special advisers and jail all those involved.
“These are the people Nigerians have been expecting President Buhari to investigate, prosecute and if found wanting, sent to jail.
”Unfortunately, Mr. President has been pursuing perceived political enemies, and innocent opposition members, while dining and wining with corrupt persons, a development that has completely called to question the integrity of his anti-corruption fight.”
Meanwhile, the party also said yesterday that the directive by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to quickly conclude the investigation and prosecution of key opposition leaders before the 2019 elections, has further confirmed that the agencies have been compromised and are being tele-guided by the ruling party against the opposition.
The party particularly drew the attention of Nigerians and the international community to APC’s directive to the EFCC to drag in Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President, on trumped-up charges, stampede his prosecution and put him out of circulation before the 2019 elections.
In a statement issued Monday by the publicity scribe, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party wrote: “The PDP notes that it was not a mere coincidence that EFCC’s invitation to Ekweremadu was dated July 24, 2018, the same morning his residence and that of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, were simultaneously besieged by EFCC operatives and hundreds of policemen, in a failed attempt to illegally impeach them.
“The series of interference by the APC in the work of the anti-graft agencies, coupled with the August 7, 2018 siege to the National Assembly by the Department of State Security, confirms a sinister plot by the APC-led administration not only to arrest and detain Saraki and Ekweremadu to illegally remove them, but also to besmear and destroy the opposition ahead of 2019 general elections.
“Being unable to find Ekweremadu wanting in its many probes, the APC now relies on procured cooked-up allegations in a bid to get at him at all cost.”
