The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday listed cases of alleged looting by officials of the Federal Government.
The party was reacting to the list of “PDP looters” released in Lagos on Friday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Mohammed had listed the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus; chairman of DARR Communication, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, among the alleged looters.
But in a swift reaction, the PDP, through its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said for the All Progressive Congress (APC) to accuse members of the PDP of treasury looting is a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

In a statement, the party listed cases of alleged looting by officials of the federal government in the Buhari administration but which the PDP said have been swept under the carpet.
“This is a government that is yet to account for $26 billion (N9 trillion) stolen through corrupt oil contracts in the NNPC, N1.1 trillion worth of crude diverted to service APC interests, N18 billion Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) intervention fund stolen by APC officials, including their former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal.

“The N10 billion National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for which members of the Buhari cabal were indicted, as well as the Mainagate, where the APC government recalled and reinstated an individual indicted for scam running into billions of naira,” the PDP stated.

Dismissing the list released by Mohammed as hollow and laughable, the PDP challenged the minister to name any of its members that has been convicted for treasury looting.
The party said the list is an extension of federal government’s media trial of its members and challenged it to come up with names of its members against whom the federal government had secured convictions.

It added: “The list put forward by the federal government as purported looters amounts to a cheap blackmail as none of those listed have been indicted or convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction or any panel of enquiry in our country.
“The list issued by the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, only goes to show that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency have no prove of corruption against the PDP.”
The party said in its frenzy and desperation, the federal government even included names of individuals who are not standing trial or under investigation for any act of corruption, as well as those who are not even PDP members.

“The Buhari-led federal government has manifested its frenzy by going after matters that are in court and in which none of the persons have been convicted, thus betraying their wickedness and desperation to mislead the public, the court and divert attention from the heavy looting involving their members.
“We are not in doubt that the individuals he has mentioned will take their legitimate stride and pursue appropriate action in the court.
“However, attacks on individuals, who are members of our party, do not in any way detract from the fact that the PDP, as a political platform, is not a party of corruption.

“It is unfortunate that the APC and its government under whose watch horrendous sleazes are happening on a daily basis and a government that has failed to fulfill the littlest of its campaign promises, can spend a wholesome three years searching for flimsy allegations to discredit our party and its members.”

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