The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for corrupt practices. The party said there were grave allegations raised against former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu and the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, which the EFCC has ignored because of their political affiliation.
Acting PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, who spoke yesterday in Abuja, regretted that since the inauguration of the APCled Federal Government, EFCC has only been arresting and intimidating only PDP members who served in the immediate past government.
EFCC is pressing corruption charges against former Governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa, PDP), Ikedi Ohakim (Imo, PDP), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi, PDP) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa, APC). Also, Senator Abdul-Aziz Nyako (APC) was arrested and charged to court by the EFCC.
Former Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sherriff of the PDP is also being investigated for alleged corrupt practices. Secondus said: “We want the president (Muhammadu Buhari) to note that the EFCC has only arrested PDP members who served in the previous government while APC members were left alone.
“Have former APC governors been given a clean bill of health or is the war aimed at ensuring that PDP did not exist as an opposition party?” Secondus urged the EFCC not to be selective or partial in fighting corruption. However, the APC faulted the PDP’s allegation, saying the accusation of bias is illogical.
The party urged the PDP to approach the anti-graft agency and table its complaint, if it has grievances against any of the leaders of the governing party. National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in an interview with New Telegraph, said: “We don’t see the logic in Secondus’ position because the government has promised not to interfere with the works of its agencies. So, it is not APC that is directing the anti-graft agency.
“President Buhari has said that nobody will escape justice on account of belonging to any party. So, if anybody has any petition against some people, including APC leaders, let them take it to the EFCC to do the needful. They should do a census of those being investigated by the anti-graft agency to ascertain their political affiliation.
I know some of our members have even been taken to the court by the agency.” Meanwhile, the PDP has denied the allegation of embezzlement of N12 billion against members of the National Working Committee (NWC) by workers of the party.
According to Secondus, the total amount PDP made from sale of nomination forms during the general elections, was a little over N11 billion and not N12 billion as alleged by the workers. “And according to the guideline of the party, this money was shared among the state, local government and the zones. “The state chapters were given 10 per cent; local government and zones five per cent each. People were sent on assignment and 15 per cent was spent on this.
The remaining was used for the elections. We raised the money and we used the money for elections. Nobody embezzled any money, even the workers said so in their apology letter,” Secondus told members of PDP Senate Caucus that visited the party.
Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who led the delegation, said the party members in the National Assembly endorsed the actions taken by the NWC since May 29. Akpabio said the members had passed a vote of confidence on the NWC, and expressed happiness that the crisis between the NWC and the workers had been resolved.