From Romanus Ugwu and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday, traded tackles over allegations of corruption, incompetence and felony that have trailed their campaigns ahead of the February 25 polls.
Tinubu charged relevant security agencies to arrest and prosecute Atiku for fleecing the country by stealing public funds using what he termed Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) during his reign as vice president between 1999 – 2007 and also demanded his withdrawal from the presidential race. The PDP candidate on his part, accused the APC flag bearer of trying to divert attention from the alleged misrule of the ruling party under President Muhamamdu Buhari even as he noted that it was ironic that Tinubu who is beleaguered by several allegations of graft would attempt to impugn on his integrity.
Atiku demanded that Tinubu withdraws from the presidential contest on account of his reported forfeiture of $460,000 in the United States.
However, Tinubu, who spoke through Festus Keyamo, spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), called for the arrest of Atiku over the revelations from a whistle-blower, Michael Achimugu.
Keyamo has also petitioned the EFCC, ICPC and Code of Conduct Bureau issuing a 72 hour ultimatum for the arrest and interrogation of the PDP candidate.
He alleged that the PDP candidate as vice president, “colluded with his then boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, to fleece the country and steal public funds using Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).”
He said: “Those SPVs were companies Atiku admittedly registered upon assumption of office as Vice President (with the approval of President Obasanjo) using trusted allies as shareholders and companies as consultants and then paid monies into these companies and used those monies to fund the PDP and their private businesses and family activities.
“…From the oral account of the whistle-blower, the voice notes and all other supporting documents, Atiku committed offences against the code of conduct for public officers, offence of money laundering, offence of criminal breach of trust, Section 311 of the Penal Code Law and offence of conspiracy, Section 96 (1) of the Penal Code Act in Nigeria…In the light of these very grave revelations, we call on Atiku to immediately tender an unreserved apology to the Nigerian people and step down from the presidential race forthwith, whilst handing himself over to the law enforcement agencies.”
The APC PCC also asked for the protection of the whistle blower.
Nevertheless, Atiku in a statement by National Publicity Secretary of his presidential campaign council, Debo Ologunagba, taunted Tinubu for accusing him of corruption while serving as vice president saying the APC candidate was the one deeply immersed in several legal issues bordering on drugs and graft.
He said: “For clarity and for the interest of Nigerians, it is on record that Atiku Abubakar is one of the most investigated public officials in this country. It is also on record that in all the investigations undertaken over him and his affairs, Atiku Abubakar was never found culpable in any of the allegations. In contrast however, the APC Presidential Candidate has litany of confirmed legal impediments on very grave issues.
“The PDP demands that Tinubu should withdraw from the presidential contest, on account of his reported forfeiture of $460,000 in the United States. The effect of the conviction and forfeiture of the sum of $460,000 by Asiwaju Tinubu confirms that he is ineligible and not qualified to contest for the Office of the President of Nigeria as required by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“The APC Presidential candidate has not come out to deny the conviction and forfeiture or show evidence of any attempt by him to challenge or appeal the judgment, apparently believing that it will slide with time…He should therefore withdraw from the presidential race having been found ineligible and not qualified to run or to contest for the office of the President of Nigeria under the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.”
Meanwhile, the PDP has raised the alarm over alleged establishment of militia group by the name ‘Jagaban Army’ by the APC. Consequently, the party called for the the arrest and interrogation the APC presidential candidate.
Ologunagba in a statement, yesterday, said the alleged militia group is a confirmation of its earlier stance that APC was allegedly plotting to unleash violence on Nigerians, in order to disrupt the 2023 polls.
He described the alleged formation of a “uniformed squad” by the APC code-named “Jagaban Army” as alleged treason.
“The notion of Jagaban Army is a ploy to bring hoodlums, thugs and gangsters together under the cover of the APC and turned them into official militia that will be used to unleash mayhem on the day of election…The PDP for the umpteenth time, demands that President Muhammadu Buhari should take immediate steps to ensure Asiwaju Tinubu and the APC do not derail our democracy just because they have been rejected by Nigerians. Our party also charges the security agencies to take immediate action to invite the presidential candidate of the APC for questioning as well as arrest the APC Youth Leader, Dayo Israel and other APC leaders involved in this threat to the existence of our nation,” the PDP said.
Also, Atiku yesterday asked Nigerians not to hand over their future to an inexperienced politician or presidential candidate of the APC.
He spoke at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG’s) presidential dialogue on the economy in Lagos, saying more Nigerians are poorer and more miserable now than in 2015.
He said: “Experience is important and we must avoid the mistakes of the recent past. We have lost our esteemed position as Africa’s preferred investment destination to less endowed nations. The failure of leadership by the APC-led government is staring every Nigerian in the face as the country’s economic, social, political, and security challenges persist and assume frightening dimensions. Experience is important and we must avoid the mistakes of the recent past. It is too risky for Nigerians to hand over their future to a greenhorn or to the national leader of the very party that brought us to this sorry pass.”