Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun state, Segun Showunmi has accused the former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Olabode George of “playing dangerous politics” with the PDP by accusing the Presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar of “conspiratorial silence” over naira and fuel scarcity.
George had in a press conference berated the PDP, Atiku, the national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu and the Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Aminu Tambuwal for their alleged silence over the naira and fuel scarcity in the country.
George alleged that, the PDP seemed to have concurred to the new naira redesign policy and the fuel scarcity which according to him had “plunged Nigeria into the present state of hopelessness, annihilation and abject suffering”.
But, Showunmi while reacting to George’s allegations, said it was regrettable that the former Deputy National Chairman of the party threw caution to the wind by making weighty allegations he could not substantiate.
Showunmi stated this during a stakeholders’ meeting of PDP leaders from all the 20 Local government areas of the state, organised to mobilise support for Atiku ahead of the February 25 election.
He called for the arrest of George by security agencies and be made to provide evidence to backup his claims.
Showunmi sattributed the current hardship being experienced by Nigerians as a result of naira and fuel scarcity to the failing of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
His words: “Those are very, very weighty allegations Chief Bode George has made and I’m not exactly sure that if he is called upon to provide evidence he may easily be able to do so.
“I don’t think those who are unhappy about the party chairman related issues or otherwise can throw caution to the wind in the manner Chief Olabode George has taken it.
“I think the security officers should, first of all arrest him and ask him to come and provide evidence. Is it the people he alleged that did the policy of change of currency, are they the ones that are in charge of the Nigerian security printing and minting, are they the ones that are in charge of currency circulation of CBN?
“He (George) is wrong, the PDP has no hand in the madness going on here, it is purely, a failing of APC, a failing of their government, a failing of their policy, a failing of their responsibility as leaders.
“Nobody should play dangerous politics with the PDP. If Bode George is so sure, then I call on the Director-General of DSS, the Inspector General of police and all responsible organisations for security to arrest him forthwith and ask him to come and provide evidence for the very weighty allegations that he is making.”