By Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja
The rivalry between the ruling
All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples’
Democratic Party (PDP) took a new dimension yesterday when former Vice
President and presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubabar,
reeled out 30 names working with President Muhammadu Buhari who are all
accused of corruption, in one way or the other.
Some notable
names among the allegedly corrupt APC chieftains, according to Atiku,
include; former governor of Edo State and National Chairman of the APC,
Adams Oshiomhole; a serving senator and former Governor of Nasarawa
State, Abdullahi Adamu; Lagos socialite and Director General of Nigerian
Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Folarin Coker; the Minister of
Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; former Lagos State governor and
National Leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu; Chief of Staff to
President Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Abba Kyari; sacked former Secretary
to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal; the Chief of
Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai; the minister of state transport
(Aviation), Senator Hadi Sirika; The First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari; and
the Executive Director, National Film and Video Censors Board, Mr.
Adedayo Thomas; former governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Muazu; former
Osun State Deputy Governor, Senator Iyiola Omisore; former pension
chief, Abdulrasheed Maina; former Minister of State for Defence, Senator
Musiliu Obanikoro; and former governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor
Kalu.
Also listed is the Bauchi State government under Governor
Isa Yuguda; former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill
Akpabio; Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo; Kano State Governor,
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; a two-term former governor of Jigawa State,
Alhaji Seminu Turaki; in-law to President Buhari, who is the Executive
Secretary, Border Communities Development Agency (BDCA), Alhaji Junaid
Abdullahi, and former governor of the state who is currently in charge
of Buhari’s campaign in Sokoto State, Alhaji Aliyu Wamako.
Others
are; the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in Imo State and a close
associate of President Buhari, Senator Hope Uzodimma; serving Minister
of Transportation and Director-General of the Buhari Campaign
Organisation in 2015, who has been charged with the task of ensuring
that Buhari is elected a second time, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi; and the
embattled Zamfara State governor, Alhaji Abdul’ aziz Yari.
Others
include the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru; and the suspended Director-General,
National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr. Ayodele Oke.
While
Oshiomhole was linked with petitions over allegations of large scale
corruption, during his days as governor of Edo State by a human rights
crusader, Bishop Osadolor Ochei, the PDP also pointed accusing fingers
in his direction in connection with alleged financial inducements during
the last APC primaries. Adamu, one of President Buharis’s allies in the
Senate, is being prosecuted alongside 18 others for allegedly stealing
N15 billion from the treasury through contracts awarded when he was
governor for eight years.
While Coker faces N3billion fraud
charge, Lai Mohammed was alleged to have begged his subordinates at the
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for a ‘loan’ of 13 million to
enable him travel to China.
Tinubu’s Alpha Beta is facing N100
billion corruption allegation, according to Atiku’s Special Assistant on
Public Communications, Mr. Phrank Shaibu who released the 30 names and
the corruption allegation against each of them.
The statement alleged Babachir’s involvement in the infamous grass-cutting scandal as the SGF.
Shaibu
alleged that Buratai allegedly bought two Dubai mansions for $1.5
million; Sirika was accused of siphoning over N1.2 billion on a phony
Nigeria Air project, which was eventually suspended by the federal
government.
The First Lady was said to have made the list for
reporting her ADC, Sani Baban-Inna, to the security agencies over
allegation of swindling members of the public of the sum of N2.5
billion.
Muazu has N19.8 billion case of corruption with the
EFCC, but he has “taken refuge with the APC.” While Omisore’s N1.3
billion fraud charge is still pending, he is already seeking political
refuge in the APC.
Source:- Thisdaylive
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