The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday said it was aware that President Muhammadu Buhari was concealing alleged bribery and corrupt practices involving the All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, who it noted “is being investigated by the Department of State Services, DSS.
The party said it was privy to pressure from the presidency on the DSS, which reportedly detained and grilled Oshiomhole, to let him off the hook for fears that his investigation will unearth the complicity of the Presidency and other key APC members in the alleged scam.
In a statement issued by the party’s spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, the PDP said information available to it “reveals that apart from the billions of naira, he allegedly stole from the coffers of Edo State when he was governor, Oshiomhole is facing charges of allegedly collecting billions of naira bribe from some ministers and other APC sources in Adamawa, Rivers, Kano and Imo states to manipulate the 2019 electoral process.”
“This is in addition to allegedly collecting billions of naira from presidency sources to influence electoral officers, independent observers and certain polling organizations ahead of the 2019 election, part of which was allegedly diverted for personal use of some APC leaders.”
The PDP noted that it had always alerted Nigerians of the corruption allegation burden on the former governor and the continued official cover provided for him by the Presidency including the alleged stalling of his investigation and prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
“If the presidency has nothing to hide; if it is not complicit in the alleged scam, it should allow the DSS and EFCC a free hand to investigate and prosecute his party’s chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, particularly now that all issues are laid bare before Nigerians.
“As long as the DSS and the EFCC are not allowed to put Oshiomhole into the dock, the presidency does not have the moral rectitude to speak on corruption,” it added.
Below is the full statement issued by PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) describes as reprehensible, revelations that the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency is concealing alleged bribery and corrupt practices involving the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, who is being investigated by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The party said it is privy to the pressure from the Buhari Presidency on the DSS, which reportedly detained and grilled Oshiomhole, to let him off the hook for fears that his investigation will unearth the complicity of the Presidency and other key APC members in the scam.
Information available to the PDP reveals that apart from the billion of naira, he allegedly stole from the coffers of Edo state when he was governor, Oshiomhole is facing charges of allegedly collecting billions of naira bribe from some ministers and other APC sources in Adamawa, Rivers, Kano and Imo states to manipulate the 2019 electoral process.
This is in addition to allegedly collecting billions of naira from Presidency sources to influence electoral officers, independent observers and certain polling organizations ahead of the 2019 election, part of which was allegedly diverted for personal use of some APC leaders.
The PDP had always alerted Nigerians of the corruption allegation burden on the APC Chairman and the continued official cover provided for him by the Buhari Presidency including stalling his investigation and prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged stealing of billions of naira from Edo State coffers.
If the Buhari Presidency has nothing to hide; if it is not complicit in the alleged scam, it should allow the DSS and EFCC a free hand to investigate and prosecute his party’s factional chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, particularly now that all issues are laid bare before Nigerians.
As long as the DSS and the EFCC are not allowed to put Oshiomhole into the dock, the Buhari Presidency does not have the moral rectitude to speak on corruption.
This is especially as the involvement of the DSS shows that the corruption burden of the APC Chairman has already become a security risk for our nation.
Finally, the PDP cautions that under no circumstance should the Presidency escort Adams Oshiomhole out of the country, just like it did for the disgraced Buhari’s former Minister of Finance.