The Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) has asked the International Criminal Police Organisation better known as
Interpol to probe President Muhammadu Buhari’s family over an alleged diversion
of military funds.
In a statement on Wednesday, Kola
Ologbondiyan, PDP spokesman, accused the president’s family of diverting N1.032
trillion meant for the purchase of weapons for soldiers to acquire shares in 9
Mobile and Keystone Bank.
The PDP spokesman also alleged
that the military fund is being used to finance the president’s re-election
campaign and to produce campaign materials.
“The Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) calls for an urgent
investigation into the alleged link between the reportedly diverted military
funds and the N1.032 trillion said to have been used by President Muhammadu
Buhari’s family members for corrupt acquisition in 9 Mobile Nigeria and
Keystone Bank PLC,” the statement read.
“The PPCO calls for an
independent and system-wide investigation by the INTERPOL, Directorate of State
Services (DSS), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the
alleged links between the two funds.”
Atiku Abubakar, presidential
candidate of PDP, had earlier asked the federal government to probe the
allegations that the president’s family owns substantial share in the
telecommunication outfit and a bank.
In his statement on Wednesday,
Ologbondiyan said the president’s silence on the allegations show that he hands
were soiled.
Below is Ologbondiyan’s full
statement:
1. Urgent Call On INTERPOL To
Investigate The Alleged Diversion of Military Funds By Buhari’s Family
The Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) calls for an urgent
investigation into the alleged link between the reportedly diverted military
funds and the N1.032 trillion said to have been used by President Muhammadu
Buhari’s family members for corrupt acquisition in 9 Mobile Nigeria and
Keystone Bank PLC.
The PPCO calls for an independent
and system-wide investigation by the INTERPOL, Directorate of State Services
(DSS), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the alleged
links between the two funds.
This concerted investigation has
become imperative following President Buhari’s failure to directly speak out on
the allegations against his family members, as well as explain how they came
about the sum of N1.032 trillion for the alleged acquisition.
We make this demand in view of
public insinuations that the money may have been sourced from funds meant for
the purchase of weapons for our soldiers.
More so, the Buhari Presidency
has blatantly refused to respond to allegations that military fund is being
used to finance President Buhari’s re-election campaign which even manifested
in the use of military resources to produce APC’s campaign materials, including
an electronic momento book by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali.
The PPCO is deeply worried by the
disturbing videos of our gallant soldiers languishing and being killed by
insurgents due to neglect and failure of the Buhari administration to
adequately equip them in the fronts.
The PPCO is also unhappy by
similar videos, showing our soldiers protesting and threatening to retreat from
the fronts, while grumbling against their neglect by the Buhari administration.
This should not be the way to go
for our nation. Our soldiers are brave and have continued to show the highest
form of professionalism and unmatched patriotism in risking and laying down
their lives in defence of fatherland. Therefore, any action by anybody that is
capable of reducing their morale in the fronts must never be allowed.
The PPCO invites Nigerians to
continue to be at alert and give all support to our fighting troops as the
fight against terrorism in our land must continue to be a collective effort. We
therefore insist on this inquest and urge Nigerians to give their support in
this regard.
2. President Buhari Must
Personally Respond To 9 Mobile/Keystone Bank Allegations:
Also, the attention of the PPCO
has been drawn to a vicious attempt by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to
use diversionary tactics to dismiss allegations of corruption hanging directly
on President Muhammadu Buhari. The APC is attempting to dismiss revelations
that family members of President Buhari’s involvement in acquiring substantial
shares in both the 9 Mobile and Keystone Bank Plc that is worth over a N1
trillion.
We want Nigerians to note that
the PDP had already challenged President Buhari to personally speak out on
these allegations. We note that President Buhari had the occasion of the launch
of his campaign in Akwa Ibom last week and his New year address to deny these
grave allegations but he decided to shy away from it.
The PPCO unequivocally stands by
its actions that President Muhammadu Buhari has soiled his hands on corruption
enrichments and has resorted to sending his aides to put up frivolous defenses.
We hereby insist that Mr. President should rise in defence of his best-selling
point-assumed integrity-by personally responding to the 9 Mobile and Keystone
Bank-gate
3. A Stern Caution To INEC
Against Plots To Manipulate Election Results.
The PPCO cautions the Chairman of
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Yakubu Mahmood to
immediately disentangle himself and his commission from the fresh plot by the
APC and the Buhari Presidency to compromise the electoral guideline and pave
the way for the alteration of the results of the 2019 general election to
favour President Buhari.
We urge Prof. Yakubu to note that
Nigerians are already aware of the pressure being placed on him by the Buhari
Presidency and APC seeking to force the commission to drop the display of
results at the polling units as well as the electronic transmission of polled
figures to INEC server from its guidelines.
The Buhari Presidency is
desperate to remove these requirements because the display of results at the
polling units ensures that results posted at all levels remain those originally
announced at the various polling units, while the electronic transmission to
INEC server ensures that the results from the polling centers are not tampered
with. PDP also demands that INEC allows both local and international observers
to its situation room to ensure that the final figures are not tampered with.
The APC and Buhari Presidency are
mounting pressure on INEC to drop the requirements so as to pave way for their
planned alteration of results and allocation of fictitious figures to President
Buhari during the collation process.
Prof. Yakubu must not succumb to
the pressure of the Buhari Presidency, because doing so will definitely set him
on a collision course with Nigerians.
This demand has become imperative
in the face of allegations and public apprehensions that the INEC Chairman is
being offered humongous sums of money, running into billions of naira, by
agents of the APC and the cabal at the Buhari Presidency to accede to their
demands.
Information at our disposal
further reveals that the INEC Chairman has been under pressure from this group
said to be coordinated by President Buhari’s blood relation in INEC, who, we
are surprised, Prof Yakubu still allows around himself.
Prof. Yakubu is now counseled to
distance himself from these very dangerous racketeers and the commission from
this very dangerous racket, as Nigerians will directly hold him responsible
should these two important guidelines that guarantee transparency in the
elections suddenly disappear from the INEC manual.
4. PPCO Rejects Use of Past NYSC
Members as Ad-Hoc Staff
It has further come to our knowledge
that the INEC Chairman is contemplating the deployment of past National Youth
Service Commission (NYSC) members for the 2019 election.
The PPCO totally rejects this
ignoble intention which is a ploy to use APC card-carrying members as polls
officers.
It is very instructive to state
that the on going ASUU strike has not by any measure evacuated its members from
the surface of the earth.
Therefore, if INEC sought to use
the members of ASUU for the 2019 elections, the on going strike will not be an
excuse to deploy APC members.
We totally reject these plots to
thwart electoral transparency in 2019 and we invite lovers of democracy and
global democratic institutions to show more than a passing interest in our
democratic process.
On the whole, the PPCO invites
Prof. Yakubu to bear in mind that all what Nigerians demand for is a
transparent, free, fair and credible election that reflects only the will of
the people, as directly expressed at the ballot. Any attempt by anybody, to
subvert the will of the people will be highly resisted by Nigerians, in their
determined resolve to elect a new President, come February 16, 2019.
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