Vice-President Yemi
Osinbajo has explained that
the reason the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) is investigating some
of the stalwarts of the
Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) is because the party
diverted money meant for
public services to fund
political campaigns or other
questionable purposes.
The explanation by the vice-
president came just as the
Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC)
said that it has received 41
new applications from political
associations seeking to be
registered as political parties
in the country.
Speaking yesterday at the
2016 Annual Conference of
the Mallam Bashir Yusuf-led-
Inter-Party Advisory Council
(IPAC) held at the Yar’Adua
Centre, Abuja, Osinbajo said
the President Muhammadu
Buhari-led administration
recognised the critical role of
opposition parties in
deepening democracy, but
added that it would not
jettison the fight against
corruption.
He said when the current
government took over from
the PDP-led government in
May last year, it found out
that a large chunk of money
meant for the purchase of
arms to fight terrorists in the
North-east was diverted.
Osinbajo, who was
represented by his Special
Assistant, Political Parties,
Senator Babafemi Ojudu, said
the federal government was
not targeting opposition
parties in its anti-corruption
drive but was desirous of
bringing sanity in order to
sustain democracy in the
country.
“Politics and elections should
not be about going to war
or the depletion of public
resources. Never again will
government agencies be
used in favour of any
political party to win
elections. The war against
corruption is not targeted at
the opposition parties.
“What government is doing
now is that money meant for
essential services should
not be diverted to fund
campaigns or to any other
purpose,” he said.
Explaining further on the
anti-corruption drive,
Osinbajo said investigations
had revealed that huge sums
of money voted for security
were diverted into private
pockets while part of the
money was used for election
campaigns by the PDP-led
government.
According to the vice-
president, there had to be a
stop to the malfeasance,
adding that IPAC should play
a critical role in educating
political parties and the
general public on the issue
so that democracy can
survive in Nigeria.
Osinbajo recounted the
terrible experience of the
military in the hands of Boko
Haram insurgents during the
regime of former President
Goodluck Jonathan, when
some soldiers went into
battle with obsolete weapons.
Senate President Bukola
Saraki, in his remarks, called
for concerted efforts to
sustain the democratic
culture in the country.
He said that in order to end
violence in politics, strict and
heavy legal and political
sanctions must be imposed
on those that still choose to
perpetrate violent acts.
“We must work towards
creating a system of
responsible political
behaviour both within and
outside our parties – letting
our supporters know that
violence in all its forms will
not be tolerated by parties
and their proxies,” he said.
In his speech at the
conference, the INEC
Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud
Yakubu, said that the
commission had so far
received 41 fresh
applications from political
associations seeking
registration.
He charged political parties in
the country to adhere to
INEC’s guidelines in the
conduct of their affairs,
adding that compliance would
help to promote stability in
the polity.

rusher14:
PDP was simply a criminal organisation.

Hopefully they can repent of their ways.

Pheals:
APC be saints abi

LORDOFAFONJAS:
osibanjo is a m a d man

rusher14:


They are a new party even if they have a conglomeration of the old PDP, the party is governed by a new way of doing things.

Too sudden to give any label.

Jirate:
Which funds did APC use for the election? They manufactured their abi ?. APC people are Hippocrates. Period.

Pheals:
new way to make people suffer! U prefer garri and b smiliing ! All is well

Sunnymatey:
Let him first of all tell us who and who sponsored their (APC) election. The day EFCC will take Ameachi into custody and release him after a bail condition of #5b with 20 suties of like sums after having spend 5months with them, then l will begin to consider Buhari anti-coruption fight to be real.

ba7man:
Can You give a detailed explanation for the current situation?

Pheals:
new way to make people suffer! U prefer garri and b smiliing ! All is well

Pheals:

rusher14:


You cannot absolve a government that wouldn't save, that wouldn't provide infrastructure that had a year on year devaluation of its currency against one who has come in to the rot it has seen.

Also, I'm not suffering. I don't know about you.

Pheals:
no matter the economy of the jungle ,my lion will never feed on grass ! But have heard enough bitter story from the poor

rusher14:


Then try to give support to those who are trying to get the system on track.

Once you provide a system in which massive looting isn't condoned, people pay for their crimes, and infrastructure is made a priority, you would find private enterprise the true drivers of the economy pick up with massive investments.