Corruption: I won’t resign – Buhari replies PDP

President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to a call by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that he should resign.

PDP’s National Chairman, Uche Secondus had called on Buhari to resign due to the alleged spate of corruption in his government.

Speaking on behalf of the Party at a press briefing on Friday, Secondus had accused the Buhari led government of supervising re-looting of the National treasury.

Secondus had said Buhari should do the honourable thing by resigning as an elder statesman.

He noted that the current investigation ongoing at the National Assembly shows that the government has no head.

However, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, in a statement on Friday night, said the call by Secondus was a mere camouflage of the PDP’s fear the various probes initiated by the Buhari administration, which had led to the uncovering of the many cases of corruption, would expose characters within the opposition further.

He said the many cans of worms, which have been opened in recent times, including those exposed through the probe of the activities of the anti-corruption outfit, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was because Buhari summoned the courage to fight and expose corruption, no matter whose ox is gored.

The statement noted the demand by the opposition party had exposed it as being scared of the sorts of dirty hidden secrets that the it would wish were kept covered, adding that President Buhari would not be deterred by the opposition’s distractive strategies.

“Based on the statement issued by the embattled chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus, it is clear that they would have liked the President to not investigate but to cover things up: to not wake the sleeping lion as voiced by another of their leaders.

“The PDP government, which exited the stage five years ago through a democratic election by voters dissatisfied with corruption on an industrial scale, policy paralysis, obsolete and decaying essential infrastructure appears to have forgotten the reason for their stunning defeat and seem hell-bent on the fooling the nation, yet again for another ride to power.

“President Buhari will not resign. He is determined to continue the crusade against corruption, both legacy and recently unearthed cases, that are found to be shabbily handled, and in some cases unattended to by past administrations.

“The National Assembly, by virtue of its right to conduct its oversight function is currently carrying out own investigations. Additionally, the security and intelligence agencies are equally doing their part and must be given the time and space to conclude their work and present their reports.

“The PDP cannot scare the government from probing the grave allegations made against MDAs and their chiefs because failure to do so will amount to a historic betrayal of public trust.

“The PDP cannot subject Nigeria’s democracy to subterranean attacks and continue to pretend that they are well-meaning,” the statement said.