PDP To INEC: Proscribe APC For Campaigning With Looted Funds | The Precision

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.”

•Excerpted from a report by The Guardian.