..Denies arresting Atiku’s sons
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO) on Monday and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) engaged in war of words over the Saturday’s raid and unleashing of violence on the residence of the children of its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar by the anti-graft agency. The party condemned Buhari Presidency-controlled EFCC, and described it as vicious, outrageous,dirty and reprehensible.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen Abuja yesterday by Director of Media and Publicity of the Organisation, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan.
The party declared that “the invasion of Aliyu and Mustapha Abubakar’s home, even in their absence, allegedly in search of imaginary cache of foreign currency, has further exposed how depraved the Buhari Presidency has descended in the desperate plot to harm, traumatise and malign the character of our Presidential candidate and his family, having realised that Nigerians have aligned behind him as the next President of our country.”
According to the statement, “It is indeed appalling that the Buhari Presidency can now go as low as engaging in wicked politics of chasing after family members of a Presidential candidate, who are neither government officials, government contractors nor involved in any underhand dealings, but young students pursuing their legitimate personal educational careers without ill will to anybody.
“While nothing incriminating was found in the apartment, the PPCO has been made aware of how the squad, said to be acting on ‘orders from above’ ransacked the house and destroyed valuables belonging to Atiku’s children and we demand an explanation from the leadership of the EFCC.
“The PPCO completely rejects the wicked politics that the APC and the Buhari Presidency are importing into our polity. We hereby urge all Nigerians, particularly the youths, to rise in condemnation of these vicious acts.”
It recalled that “only last month, a special security squad of army, police and paramilitary agencies was unleashed to physically harass our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, at the Abuja airport, upon his return from Dubai.
“Similarly, last week, all transactions in bank accounts belonging to PDP Vice Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, his wife, his family members and their businesses were stopped by agencies of the Buhari Presidency on account of the imaginary investigation.”
It pointed out that Nigerians were already aware of how opposition leaders and others perceived to be averse to the President Buhari’s re-election bid, on account of his woeful performance in office, was being blackmailed and framed up with spurious charges.
It wanted President Buhari to note that, as an opposition Presidential candidate from 2003 to 2015, none of his children or family members was in anyway attacked or victimised by the government in power and warned him to stop importing such vicious underhand tactics into the nation’s political hemisphere.
The Organisation then counseled the APC and the Buhari Presidency to come to terms with the fact that Nigerians had moved beyond them and that no amount of intimidation, harassment or attack on the Party’s candidates, leaders and their families would stop Nigerians from voting them out of office, come 2019 and electing its candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied arresting the sons of Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Acting Spokesperson, EFCC Mr Tony Orilade, made the denial in a statement in Abuja, on Monday. Orilade said the organization has received several calls and e-mail messages asking us to confirm the arrest of the sons of Abubakar as being alleged in some quarters. “Some only said we raided the apartments of Atiku’s sons looking for foreign currencies. “This is nothing but another tales by moonlight.” He said that the commission, as a responsible organisation, was abreast of the establishment mandate and shall not deviate from such mandate. “We never went after Atiku’s sons, neither were Atiku’s sons among the two boys arrested.” The spokesperson, however, said “it is in the news that we have been investigating the former Abia governor, Sen. Theodore Orji, over alleged N27 billion money-laundering. “In the course of investigation, we discovered that he laundered part of the money through his sons.
“We have been on the trail of some of the purchases made by his sons, including the cars the boys allegedly bought. “There is no link whatsoever to Atiku.”
