The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday demanded an immediate proscription of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for allegedly financing President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 campaign with looted funds.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP also gave the Buhari-led presidency a three-day ultimatum to respond to allegations that it was elected with looted funds or find itself top on the list of confirmed looters.
“Instead of the presidency and the APC to come out with a response on how Buhari’s 2015 campaign was funded with looted sums, they are busy hallucinating about names of individuals whose matters are before the courts of competent jurisdiction.”
The party claimed that the APC, the Federal Government and the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, were running away from the issue of how they raised money to install Buhari as president.
“They have pressed the panic button and resorted to unfounded allegations against PDP members just to divert the attention of Nigerians and the international community from their atrocious government and its manifold failures of leadership.”
The PDP said it would not join “the panicky APC and the Federal Government in their resort to engage in matters that are sub judice because we believe and respect the rule of law, particularly, as it concerns the rights of every citizen.
“We know those in the APC and Buhari’s cabinet who as champions of looting, plundered the resources of their various states and handed the same over for the very expensive electioneering campaign of President Buhari, who had earlier confessed of his insolvency.
“We have challenged the APC and the presidency to declare the sources of these funds and how they were used since they have been proven to come from public coffers.
“Now that the APC, the Federal Government, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Buhari Presidency have chosen a loud silence rather than accepting that looted funds were used to install Buhari as President in 2015, we charge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately commence the process for the proscription of the APC as a political party.”
A former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, released a list of alleged looters of public funds who are members of the ruling party.
In a statement, he said: “I have taken the pains to produce a ‘teaser’ looters list of APC members who are collectively alleged to have looted over $2 billion (current value of what they allegedly looted at the time they committed the crime).
“I challenge President Buhari and Lai Mohammed to explain why these men did not feature on their list and why they continue to remain in this APC government where they wield immense powers and influence, even over the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that is meant to prosecute them.”
Omokri claimed that Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser, is not in jail for a crime he committed in 2015 but he is rather being persecuted for a ‘crime’ he committed in 1985.
“I further challenge President Buhari and Lai Mohammed to explain why they failed to reveal to Nigerians that President Buhari himself is a major beneficiary of the funds that Dasuki, received from the treasury for the security of Nigerians.”
Omokri said his list of looters was just a teaser and he could release more names depending on the reaction of the Buhari-led government.
Those listed are:
“•Rotimi Amaechi: Indicted by the Justice George Omeregi-led Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry for looting ₦97 billion along with co-indictees including a former army general;
“•Saminu Turaki alleged to have looted ₦36 billion. First charged before Justice Sabi’u Yahuza of the Federal High Court in Dutse, Jigawa State but currently facing trial before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba at the FCT High Court;
“•Timipre Sylva, a well-known financier and supporter of the APC administration of President Buhari. Alleged to have looted ₦19.7 billion. Was facing trial before Justice A. Y. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja. However, two days after President Buhari was sworn in, the new APC government withdrew the charges preferred against Sylva on June 1, 2015, and on October 3, 2018, the EFCC returned to Sylva, 48 houses seized from him during the administration of former President Jonathan in 2013;
“•Murtala Nyako alleged to have looted ₦29 billion. Currently facing trial before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja;
“•Senator Danjuma Goje alleged to have looted ₦25 billion. Currently facing trial before the Federal High Court, sitting in Jos, Plateau State;
“•Senator Abdullahi Adamu alleged to have looted ₦15 billion with the help of 18 co- accused. Charged on March 3, 2010. The case continues to linger in court;
“•Orji Kalu alleged to have looted ₦3.2 billion. Currently facing trial before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos;
“•Kayode Fayemi indicted by the Ekiti Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by former Ekiti State chief judge and the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Ademola Ajakaiye, of sundry financial malfeasance totalling over ₦2 billion;
“•Senator Joshua Dariye alleged to have looted ₦1.2 billion. Currently facing trial before Justice Adebukola Banjoko at an FCT High Court; and
“•Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, allegedly gave a ₦200 million contract to his own company from monies meant to look after Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Has been sacked after protest by the opposition and civil society. Has still not been charged. Was allowed to be replaced by his own cousin.
“By the omission of these names, the Buhari-led Federal Government has vindicated Transparency International which alleged that Nigeria is more corrupt today under Buhari than at any other time since it started keeping records.”
(The Guardian).