The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP has knocked the ruling All Progressives Congress APC for calling for an investigation into an alleged link between some of its party members and arrested suspected fraudster, Hushpuppi.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabena, over the weekend, called on the EFCC, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and other sister agencies to investigate money laundering reports linking some PDP leaders and financiers to the Dubai-based international suspected fraud ring. He added that the party leadership turned Dubai into their “Strategic” meeting place ahead of the 2019 general elections in Nigeria and that at different times, Hushpuppi was photographed in Dubai meeting with the PDP’s 2019 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Yakubu Dogara, Dino Melaye and other PDP stalwarts.
PDP in a statement released by its National spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Nabena's statement further exposes the victimization agenda of the APC. According to the party, Nabena's statement has also further exposed how the APC administration has been using agencies under its control to "frame innocent opposition members, dissenting voices, rival political parties, and perceived opponents of the government on trumped-up charges under the guise of fighting corruption."
The PDP statement in part reads
The desperate bid to frame innocent Nigerians who are not in any way involved with Hushpuppi, even after a very broad investigation by prominent investigators including the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), leaves no one in doubt that APC government has been victimizing opposition members with fabricated charges.
The party also revealed that it has however been made aware that the statement by the APC is part of a heinous design by certain power mongers close to the APC administration to commence a fresh clampdown on perceived political rivals within and outside the opposition circles, ahead of the 2023 general election.
Nigerians should not be surprised when the APC will begin to list the names of innocent political leaders, including those who are now being persecuted in their party, on trumped-up charges, for political interests.
While our party has no link whatsoever with Hushpuppi, as the APC also acknowledged, Nigerians are aware that his pictures with some prominent Nigerians, such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, which the APC is frenzied about, do not suggest any affinity beyond the usual jostling by people, world over, to be photographed with leaders.
Of course, such happens to all prominent individuals, especially leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari.
It is therefore unfortunate that a ruling party, which is now led by a sitting governor, is spending its energy to frame innocent Nigerians instead of confronting the myriads of economic and security problems it caused the nation, in addition to finding solution to the serious demands of COVID-19 pandemic.
If the APC is indeed fighting corruption, it should have called for the investigation of its leaders who, as state governors, ministers and even APC National Chairman have been indicted for stealing and treasury looting.
The APC should be calling for the investigation of one of their state governors, who was seen on a viral video, stuffing his robe with gratification, in foreign currency, as well as their candidate in a forthcoming election, who has been declared by a former APC National Chairman as a treasury looter, who is only good for "night meetings" and not fit to be state governor.
Having been exposed, the PDP cautions the APC to steer clear of our members and other hard working Nigerians, in various fields of endeavor, who are perceived to be opponents of the APC.
Moreover, our party will not be distracted by the APC, which has gone into panic mode over its imminent electoral loss in Edo as well as Ondo state.''
