*Claims the APC flagbearer founded a militia group
*Insists Tinubu’s forfeiture of $40,000 in the US proves he’s fraudulent
By Myke Uzendu
Mudslinging by two of the four most prominent presidential candidates in the 2023 general election got messier Sunday when the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Police and other security agencies to immediately arrest and prosecute the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, over alleged financial malfeasance and alleged drug offences.
The former Vice-President also called for the sack the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, accusing him of “undermining the conduct of a free, fair and credible elections in 2023”, adding that Keyamo who is a member of Buhari’s cabinet, is “using his position to bully and intimidate an institution of government”.
Atiku stated that Keyamo “had written a letter to agencies of the government who are the same members of the executive branch of government and demanded that in 72 hours they should prosecute a presidential candidate of PDP (Atiku Abubakar)”.
At a press conference Sunday in Abuja by the PDP-PCC Directorate of Strategic Communications, led by Mr. Dele Momodu, titled, “Why NDLEA, EFCC Must Arrest and Prosecute Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the Spokesperson of Presidential Campaign Council, Daniel Bwala and the Special Assistant, Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, Phrank Shaibu, at the directive of Momodu, explained why Tinubu should be arrested and prosecuted.
Bwala said Tinubu should be arrested for allegedly creating a militia group via his agents known as “Jagaban Soldiers and Battalion, for the purposes of executing his political agenda which could have wider implications to the peaceful conduct of elections and the human rights of the citizens of Nigeria”.
He pointed out the negative implications of a statement credited to Tinubu in London that members of the APC should at all cost “grab, snatch and run” with victory for him at the poll, of which Bwala added: “Shortly after his declaration, violence has visited several states by members of the APC on opposition in rallies, homes, streets etc.
“The creation of militia has never happened in the history of politics in Nigeria until now. We call on Nigeria’s security and intelligence platforms to investigate and where necessary arrest all those involved including the presidential candidate of APC.”
The former APC spokesperson also noted that Tinubu has been deploying Mr. Keyamo “to bully and intimidate an institution of government”, adding that “recently, the Minister wrote a letter to agencies of the government, who are same members of the executive branch of government and demanded that in 72 hours they should prosecute a presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar”.
The Atiku spokesperson also noted that the minister has been using the tax payers money, official privilege and power, to allegedly heavily compromise the agencies of government.
“We call on the president to sack the Minister of State for Labour and Employment forthwith, for using official position funded by tax payer’s money to interfere with the conduct of a free, fair and credible elections.
“We also call on the president to read the riots act to agents of the government from interfering with this election.
“Any effort to intimidate opposition is an effort to interfere with the conduct of a peaceful elections,” he stressed.
For claiming that Tinubu forfeited $460,000 to the United State of America, Mr. Shuabu called on the NDLEA to immediately arrest and prosecute Tinubu.
He said: “Nigerian law is clear. Criminal cases have no statute of limitation and can be re-opened at anytime especially for the sake of national interest.
“We hereby call on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to immediately arrest Bola Ahmed Tinubu and prosecute him for drug trafficking.”
Shuabu also urged the anti-graft agency to investigate the sources of Tinubu’s wealth, adding that, “Tinubu does not enjoy immunity.
“We hereby call on the EFCC, the NDLEA, the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Department of State Services to arrest and prosecute him.”
