The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the alleged detention of his son-in-law, Babalele Abdullahi, and his lawyer.
In a tweet, yesterday morning, the former vice president accused the Federal Government of going after them for supporting him.
“My son-in-law and lawyer have been detained, one for three weeks and the other recently.
“They are paying the price for supporting me. I urge those now persecuting them to remember that a government’s mandate is to pursue peace and justice for all, and not just those who support them.”
Atiku’s tweet came two days after he raised an alarm of alleged desperate moves to make him concede and congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari, following the February 23 election.
In a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, the PDP candidate said his son-in-law, who is also the finance director of his group of companies, was arrested in Abuja on Saturday.
Ibe said officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allegedly invaded Babalele’s Maitama District residence in the nation’s capital.
Atiku had noted that while he recognised the constitutional role of the EFCC and other government agencies to carry out investigations, he would not be cowed by any attempt to blackmail him.
He insisted that he would under no circumstance “mortgage the mandate of Nigerians as freely expressed on the 23rd of February 2019.”
In its reaction, the EFCC said it has begun investigation into alleged money laundering by Babalele.
Acting EFCC spokesman, Mr. Tony Orilade, stated this in Abuja, on Monday, and confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria that Babalele is in the Commission’s custody.
“We are investigating a case of money laundering against Abdullahi. We shall speak at the appropriate time,” Orilade said.