· Arrest, prosecute Atiku now over SPV, APC PCC charges anti graft agencies
· Jagaban army, a militia group, treasonable act PDP PCC
· Keyamo issues 72hrs ultimatum to EFCC, ICPC, CCB to arrest, prosecute PDP presidential candidate
The campaign councils of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have once again gone to trenches, attacking each order over the latest viral video of alleged corrupt practices of Atiku during his time as Nigeria’s vice president, and the actions of the APC’s Jagaban army, which demonstrated at the weekend
The feuding campaigns councils therefore called for the arrest of the opposite presidential candidates, with the APC Presidential campagn Council described Atiku as a “criminal”that must be prosecuted, while the PDP PCC accused Tinubu of committing a treasonable offence by allegedly funding a militia group that is meant to disrupt the February presidential elections
While calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Atiku Abubakar, the APC PCC in a statement captioned “Enough of Playing the Ostrich regarding the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) regretted that the anti graft agencies, as well as the Nigerian media have strangely kept quiet since over one week of the revelation by a whistle blower
It would be recalled that a whistleblower, one Mike Achimunu, who c;aimed to be a former media to Atiku Abubakar had in a viral video, revealed how the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration of then president Olusegun Obasanjo, with Atiku Abubakar as vice president, registered fraudulent companies, Special Purpose Vehicle (SVP) as well as operated another the Marine Float Account tto unlawfully fund the PDP and enrich themselves, family members and friends
Making the call while reading a jointly signed press statement before he media on Monday in Abuja, spokesperson of the APC PCC, Festus Keyamo noted that “ In the past one week, Nigerians have been in deep shock over the grave revelations by a whistle-blower, Mr. Michael Achimugu, who has provided the nation with iron-cast evidence of letters of appointment by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, emails, documents, audio clips, sworn affidavit and direct oral evidence as to how Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (who happens to be the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party) during his tenure as Vice-President of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007, colluded with his then boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, to fleece the country and steal public funds using what he termed “Special Purpose Vehicles” (SPVs).”
The APC PCC in the statement which was jointly signed by Dele Alake, Bayo Onanuga, Femi fani kayoed, and Idris Mohammed, all directors in the media department of the Campaign Council said SPVs were companies Atiku admittedly registered upon assumption of office as Vice-President (with the approval of President Olusegun Obasanjo) using “trusted allies” as shareholders and Directors.
It stated further that the purpose was to divert government contracts to these companies as “consultants” and then paid monies into these companies and used those monies to fund the PDP and their private businesses and family activities.
The APC PCC also accused Obasanjo and Atiku of founding their private iniversities with proceeds from the SVP, saying, “We can all vividly recall that during that tenure, both President Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar built the Bells University and American University respectively. Now, we know from where the funds came.”
It noted that from the oral account of the whistle-blower, the voice notes and all other supporting documents, these are the possible infractions of the law Atiku Abubakar has committed so many infraction of the Nigerian law, including offences against the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, especially in Sections 5, 10, 13 & 17 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act
“Whoever, being in any manner entrusted with property or with any dominion over property, dishonestly misappropriates or converts to his own use that property or dishonestly uses or disposes of that property in violation of any direction of law prescribing the mode in which such trust is to be discharged or of any legal contract express or implied, which he has made touching the discharge of such trust, or wilfully suffers any other person so to do, commits criminal breach of trust.”
“We understand that the law enforcement agencies may be reluctant to act simply because of the perception of persecution of a Presidential candidate that this may evoke.
“However, facts are sacred. The facts so far presented to the world clearly indicate that Atiku Abubakar has a case to answer. In other climes when such serious allegations arose in the middle of campaigns, the law-enforcement agencies acted decisively. You may recall that, in 2016, in the middle of campaigns for the exalted office of the Presidency of the United States, the FBI opened investigation into allegation of misuse of private emails against Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State. In fact, the case was referred to the Justice Department for likely prosecution few weeks to actual voting. Though, she was later cleared, it bears restating that a sane and dispassionate system never allowed such side talks to dissuade or distract them from initiating a process of investigation. It is the minimum expected in a constitutional democracy. That is what we call on the authorities to do in the case of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
“The issue of the Marine Float Account is not new to Nigerians. In the voice note, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar can be heard boasting that the issue of that account was thoroughly investigated by EFCC, yet then he was smart enough to escape.
“However, we note that in 2006, at the height of his public quarrel with Obasanjo over the sharing of money, the same PDP officially asked Atiku Abubakar to refund N500million taken from that account.
“In the circumstance, since the nation now knows that the Marine Float Account and other similar accounts were ‘SPV’ accounts, it follows that all payments made into that account were monies stolen from the public coffers. Therefore, we call on all security agencies to recover all monies withdrawn from that account by anyone for that matter.”
In the light of the revelations, the APC PCC therefore called on Atiku Abubakar to immediately tender an unreserved apology to the Nigerian people and step down from the Presidential race forthwith, whilst handing himself over to the law enforcement agencies.
“What is now clear to the Nigerian people is that between 1999 and 2007:
President Obasanjo and Atiku ran a criminal enterprise and an empire of fraud in Abuja at the same time Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was toiling very hard, dutifully and meticulously laying the foundation to rebuild Lagos State.
“That following these revelations, it becomes clear that Atiku Abubakar has absolutely nothing to campaign on against the period of 1999 – 2007 that he always relies on can now be described by Nigerians as the “SPV years” when they ran Nigeria aground.
“That the real, dark reason for the seemingly irreconcilable quarrel between President Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar is disagreement over monies they both stole in the ‘SPV’ accounts at that time.
“It is in the light of the above, we call on all well-meaning Nigerians and the law-enforcement agencies to protect Mr. Michael Achimugu, who has blown this whistle on Atiku Abubakar. No harm must befall him or members of his family. We suspect that some goons of Atiku Abubakar are planning to eliminate him and harm members of his family. We shall hold Atiku Abubakar responsible if anything befalls this patriotic Nigerian or members of his family. We also encourage him to reveal to Nigerians those “earth-shaking” revelations he is withholding for the sake of this nation and the future of our children.”
Jagaban Army a militia group, treasonable act – PDP PCC
Meanwhile, the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organization has described the formation of a uniformed squad by the All Progressives Congress (APC) code-named “Jagaban Army” as a treasonable act and calls for the arrest and questioning of the APC Presidential Candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The PDP noted that Jagaban Army is apparently set up to disrupt the 2023 general elections and raid the polling units for votes on behalf of APC Presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, sescribing it as a direct affront to the Nigeria Armed Forces and other security agencies as well as an assault on the sovereignty of our nation.
The Atiku/Okowa campaign media in a statement issued by Kola Ologbodiyan, noted that “It is reprehensible that Tinubu can create a rogue force just for the purposes of undermining the electoral and security arrangements of our nation.
“Our Campaign holds that this nefarious act of the APC Tinubu/Shettima Campaign lend credence to the position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and well-meaning Nigerians that Tinubu as well as his rank and file has set out to make our nation ungovernable and therafter disrupt the 2023 Presidential election scheduled for February 25, 2023 using his army of ‘Jagabandits’.
“The notion of Jagaban Army is a ploy to bring hoodlums, thugs and gangsters together under the cover of the APC and turned them into official militia that will be used to unleash mayhem on the day of election.
“This reckless anti-democratic plot by the ‘Jagabandits’ must also be condemned by all lovers of democracy in Nigeria and across the world over.
“We call on the security agencies to save the lives of Nigerians and protect our electoral process by immediately going after this dangerous formation, arrest those behind this design and save our nation from electoral violence.
“Our campaign counsels Tinubu to note that his Presidential ambition is not a do or die affair and that he should not set the nation ablaze just because Nigerians have rejected him and his party, the APC for their mass failures.”
Keyamo issues 72hrs ultimatum to EFCC, ICPC, CCB
Also the Minister of State Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo (SAN) in his individual capacity, has given the anti-graft agencies 72 hours ultimatum to arrest, interrogate and prosecute the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
Keyamo, in a five-page petition dated Monday, January 16, 2023 to the Chairmen of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) accused the PDP candidate of four major infractions.
He alleged that Atiku colluded to fleece the country of public funds using what he termed as “Special Purpose Vehicles” (SPVs).
The Minister, who is also the chief spokesperson and Director of Public Affairs to the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (Council), maintained that with the public revelations of a whistleblower, Mr Michael Achimugu and pieces of evidence, Atiku Abubakar has a case to answer, calling on the three anti-graft agencies to arrest, interrogate and possibly prosecute the former Vice President.
Keyamo said: “Because this matter is of great national importance, I expect you to act with alacrity and a sense of duty within 72 hours of the receipt of this petition.”
He warned: “If you (anti-graft agencies) fail, refuse and/or neglect to act, I shall be proceeding to court to compel you to act.”
