September 11, 2018
Press Statement
Alleged Fraud: Arrest Tinubu Now, PDP Charges EFCC
…Says Buhari Presidency, a Citadel of Iniquity
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prove the strength of its
integrity by investigating and prosecuting the All Progressives Congress
(APC) leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, over allegations of tax fraud.
The party said failure of the EFCC to invite and question Asiwaju Tinubu
over an alleged N160 billion tax fraud by a company linked to him will
not only suggest that the EFCC has become corrupt under the Buhari
Presidency, but also exposes the level of rot in the APC administration.
Nigerians can now see how the same Ibrahim Magu-led EFCC, which rushes
to pounce on, arrest and lock up innocent Nigerians, particularly,
perceived political opponents of President Buhari, without
investigation, has practically gone frozen and toothless because a
member of the APC cabal is involved.
Does it not smack of hypocrisy that President Buhari, who boasted that
he was going to jail more looters, has been looking the other way, while
Presidency officials suppress investigations since whistle blowers
alerted that Alpha Beta, a company linked with his party leader, Asiwaju
Tinubu, allegedly swindled Nigerians to the tune of a whopping N160
billion in tax fraud?
Is it not equally hypocritical that under the same President Buhari’s
watch, where the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has threatened to
block the bank accounts of tax evaders, a leader of his party had been
dragged before the EFCC, yet Mr President is pretending to be unaware?
If President Buhari is as clean as his handlers would want Nigerians to
believe; if the Presidency is not complicit of corruption, the PDP
challenges Mr. President to allow an investigation and prosecution of
Alpha Beta, in an open court, just as his government has been harrassing
the members of the opposition, as well as perceived opponents.
Nigerians can recall that when President Buhari declared that he will
jail more looters, the PDP welcomed him and challenged him to start with
looters in the APC and the Presidency and we insist that, in line with
the promise President Buhari made to Nigerians, Alpha Beta should be
charged accordingly.
The PDP also insists that President Buhari cannot be approving the
hounding of innocent opposition members or his perceived enemies on
allegations of corruption while at the same time always shielding and
defending his party members openly accused and indicted for corruption,
in addition to certificate forgers and national youth service corps
deserters, holding top positions in his government.
Finally, Mr. President should note that Nigerians are still waiting for
his response regarding alleged stealing of N9 trillion at the Nigeria
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) under his watch; the alleged N1.4
trillion oil subsidy fraud involving officials at the Presidency; the
alleged diversion of N1.1 trillion worth of crude oil in 2017 by APC
interests; alleged stealing of N18 billion Internally Displaced Persons
(IDP) funds; the alleged stealing of over N25 billion National Health
Insurance Fund (NHIS), which investigation was stalled by the
Presidency, among others for which his Presidency has practically turned
into a citadel of iniquity and corruption.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
