₦airaland Forum

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lashed back at President Muhammadu Buhari over a claim on smuggling of looted funds.

POLITICS TIMES reported how Mr Buhari accused Mr Abubakar, his major challenger in the 2019 presidential election, of plotting to smuggle in looted funds for the next year’s election.

Mr Buhari said he got the hint through intelligence gathering.

Refuting the claim, the former vice president popularly known as Atiku reminded Buhari how he stopped the president from smuggling in looted funds during his days in custom.

“Our attention has been drawn to a statement by President Muhammadu Buhari accusing the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar of planning to smuggle in looted funds into the country just before the February 2019 elections,” a statement from Paul Ibe, spokesman to Atiku said in a statement on Sunday.

“This new accusation, like their previous allegations, is another infantile outburst that tells more about the accuser than Atiku Abubakar.

“For the avoidance of doubt, history shows that rather than smuggle in looted cash, Waziri Atiku Abubakar has a record of preventing looted funds from being smuggled into Nigeria.

“In 1984, it was Atiku Abubakar, as head of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command of the Nigerian Customs and Excise Department, that stopped the ADC of the then Military Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, from smuggling in 53 suitcases of looted money into the country.

“Young Nigerians and Millennials who may not be aware of this incident, will do well to Google it. Only the guilty are afraid. It is President Muhammadu Buhari who has a history of smuggling in looted funds and not Waziri Atiku Abubakar.


“In fact, Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna state governor), a favourite of the President and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, said as follows on October 4, 2010: “In 1984, Buhari allowed 53 suitcases belonging to his ADC’s father to enter Nigeria unchecked at a time the country was exchanging old currency for new.

“Only recently, Mr. Abubakar’s plane was searched, his accounts have been perused and his businesses have been thoroughly investigated with a fine tooth and nothing remotely corrupt or illegal has been found.

“In desperation, the Buhari administration released this statement to cover their shame on a day that the US based International Strategic Studies Association reported that it is the unprecedented corruption around President Buhari that has led to the recent setbacks in the war on terrorism in the Northeast and the heavy loss of lives amongst the military rank and file. May God save Nigeria from a government tha values money over lives.

“We therefore urge Nigerians to note that it is Muhammadu Buhari who has a history and a record of smuggling in looted funds and it is Waziri Atiku Abubakar who has a history of preventing such from happening.

“And while they are at it, we urge them to tell Nigerians those behind Etisalat, now 9Mobile and Keystone Bank, now Polaris and how they suddenly possessed such wealth overnight,” the statement added.

dguyindcorner:
So Dino is just a coward. When he was shouting "lies", "propangada" at Mr President, I thought he has one carte blanche.

No zombie should quote me.

Shehu Sani, lawmaker representing Kaduna Central at the Senate has called on the Nigeria Police to end the siege it laid at the residential home of Senator Dino Melaye.

Mr Sani made the call on Sunday in series of tweets posted on his verified Twitter handle.

He said the siege at the home of Melaye should end because the world is studying the situation.

“End the Siege,” Sani said in tweet, adding that, “The World is Watching us.”

He also advised the accused to present himself alongside his legal team to the Police.

“The police should end the siege on Senator Dino’s House and the Senator should voluntarily present himself to the police with his legal team.

“The Gaza treatment is unhelpful to the image of the Police,the Government and the nation,” Sani said.

The Police since Friday had been on a mission to forcefully arrest Mr Melaye. Personnel of the force had laid a siege at the lawmaker’s Mississippi residence in Abuja.

The development comes days after the Kogi West lawmaker alleged there were plans to abduct and inject him to death.

Melaye, according to the Police, is wanted for homicide he allegedly committed in July. Moves to arrest him became the last option for the police after he reportedly refused to honour an invitation demanding his presence at the force headquarters.

POLITICS TIMES cannot, as at press time, verify if indeed the lawmaker got the invitation and refused to respond accordingly. His brawl with the Police started after he was named by suspects in a murder case.

Melaye has so far maintained that he is not in the building to which the siege was laid. The Police has refused to believe the lawmaker and has cut off basic amenities to the building all in a bid to force out the accused.

Earlier on Sunday, a colleague to the accused, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, raised alarm of plans by the Police to teargas the building which Melaye claimed he was not inside.

Senator Bruce said the teargas if expelled at the building will lead to death of the lawmaker. He refused to state if his colleague is residing in the building.

Already, Bukola Saraki, Senate President, has called for the immediate vacation of the siege laid at Melaye’s residence.

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s President, has accused Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of plotting to smuggle in looted funds from outside the country.

The president made this known in a statement signed by Buhari Media Organization (BMO) on Sunday.

Buhari who seeks re-election for a second term in office is the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

BMC said it’s intelligence gathering showed the former vice president popularly known as Atiku has made promises to some foreign individuals to apportion a percentage share of some state owned assets to them.

“We have it on good authority that the PDP and its Presidential candidate are making strenuous efforts to bring in public funds stashed abroad including those from recent sales of assets in Angola which were acquired with illicit funds,” the statement jointly signed by Niyi Akinsiju and Cassid Madueke, respective Chairman and Secretary of the BMO said.

“We also know that the former Vice President has made promissory transaction commitments on a number of strategic national assets including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and a percentage holding in the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) to a foreign syndicate.

“All these are out of desperation and as a result of his inability to raise funds from governors elected on PDP platform, many of whom are themselves locked in stiff battles for their seats.

“It is clear to Atiku Abubakar and PDP elements that the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration has put in place a system that has made it difficult for the type of situation in 2015 where former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke could warehouse $115,000,000 (One hundred and fifteen million dollars) which was then shared among party officials to influence electoral officials.

“They also know that even the EFCC is very much on the alert at local airports as seen in the manner its operatives have twice in recent times intercepted undeclared sums of money running into millions of dollars.

“So these opposition elements are now working out a more crooked way of bringing in money through the borders in order to circumvent the system before and during the February 2019 elections,” the statement read.

The group called on security agencies to stay at alert and double their efforts to enforce provisions of the of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 (as amended).

BlacSmit:
Dino melaye had been treated terribly by the government he helped into power. No member of the opposition has had it as hot as Dino.

Because of this government, millions of Nigerians are languishing in pain and hardship. Now, the selfish politician who helped the evil government into power is claiming to be victim of his own government.

Does he want my sympathy? Not sure if he would get it. Even though we now fight for same side.


Sometimes, its good to be careful before you pick sides. He chose the wrong side, now he must suffer his fate alone.

He better pray Buhari and the APC lose 2019 elections else....

braine:
This whole write-up does not tally with the headline, just a copy and paste of old news. These journalists sef.

Since the Nigeria Police laid a siege at the Abuja residence of Senator Dino Melaye, the action of the force has drawn reactions from Nigerians.

The police had since Friday been keeping vigil at the residence waiting to arrest Mr Melaye who has claimed he is not in the building.

This is despite earlier alarm he raised, notifying the public of plans by the Police to abduct him and inject him with poisonous substances which will lead to his dead.

The lawmaker who hinted the public of every moves made around his residence on Friday told journalist that he was out of town and that he learnt of the development through surveillance cameras around the area.

The police said the lawmaker was wanted for homicide he allegedly committed in July. The force said it had no option than to move against Melaye after the accused refused to honour its invitation.

POLITICS TIMES could not independently verify the police claim as well as reach the lawmaker wether he received any invatation demanding his presence at the force headquarters.

Bukola Saraki, Senate President, had on Saturday dismissed the police claim of inviting the Senator. The top lawmaker also called for the immediate vacation of the siege laid at Melaye’s residence.

Speaking to Channels Television, Melaye said he was not in Abuja at the time the siege was launched. He promised to present himself to the police next week.

“Presently I’m outside Abuja. I’m a Senator of the Federal Republic of Abuja, I cannot run away. I will make myself available as soon as I’m back to town next week. I am not a criminal; I have not done anything wrong,” he said on telephone when contacted.

The Police personnel laying the siege have refused to buy into the idea of the lawmaker believing he is hiding in the building.

On Saturday, in a bid to force the lawmaker out of the residence, the police disconnected some basic amenities in the building. This did not yield the desired result.

On Sunday, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, a close associate of the accused hinted of a new plan by the police to force out Melaye from his hiding place.

“#HappeningRightNow The @PoliceNG are currently at @dino_melaye’s residence and are threatening to fire tire gas into the building,” Mr Bruce alleged.

“And this is intentional. They know he is asthmatic and if these gases go into his house, they’d kill him. Enough is Enough!” he tweeted on Sunday.

One wonders the need for the alarm since the lawmaker has already claimed he is not in the building.

It is either Melaye lied about his whereabouts or that his collegue at the Senate has some clarifications to make.

jafol:
Wetin make fayose dey eat n dance with pepper sellers before the last election? Ogbeni take the log in ur eyes before taking another man's own

Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President, on Thursday visited a barbing salon located in Abuja to have a hair cut.

The salon named Luxor Salon and Spa is located at Wuse 2.

Osinbajo, after an interactive session with those at the neighbourhood, went into the salon to have a hair cut.

Ayodele Fayose, former Ekiti State governor, is reading another meaning to the action of the number two citizen.

The former governor criticized Osinbajo who has served for 3 years with none of such traced to him. Fayose said the timing of the act was because of “Election fever.”

“It is only election fever that will drive a VP to that high-class barbing saloon in Abuja, something he never did in the last three and half years,” Fayose tweeted on Saturday.

He challenged the vice president to visit troubled areas in the country to have a hair cut.

“I hope to see the VP patronising barbing saloons in Ajegunle Lagos, Baga in Borno or those armed bandits controlled towns in Zamfara,” he added.

Boko Haram terrorists recently intensified their attacks in Baga and some other parts of the country.

Bearing this in mind, Fayose criticized the presidential flag-off campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Friday in Akwa Ibom State.

“While APC leaders went to Akwa Ibom yesterday to campaign despite that lives of many Nigerians were in danger in Baga,Borno State, Zamfara PDP guber candidate, Bello Matawalle postponed his campaign flag-off in honour of victims of bandits attacks in the State. That is leadership,” he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari is reportedly in a meeting with governor’s of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP governors who met with the president at the Presidential Villa Abuja are from the South South geo-political zone.

Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom; Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa met with Buhari in a closed door meeting.

NGPOLITICS, as at press time, could not verify while the president played host to the governors.

Babatunde Fashola, the Minister for Power, Works and Housing, has opined why former President Goodluck Jonathan quickly conceded defeat when he sensed that he has been defeated in the 2015 presidential election.

Mr Jonathan who sought a second term in office during the 2015 presidential election conceded defeat even before the final results of the election was announced.

While the announcement was on, the former Nigerian leader placed a call to Muhammadu Buhari, his then opponent and major challenger in the election, congratulating the latter in the process for emerging victorious at the poll.

The action of Jonathan shocked his political party, allies and Nigerians in general. He has been commended globally for calming the politically tensed atmosphere during the exercise and handing over government peacefully.



Shortly after he stepped down in 2015, the economy of the country dived into recession only to come out of it in 2017.

Opining why the former president stepped down, the minister said he did so to avoid being at the helm of affairs while the country was warming up to go into the imminent recession.

”What was left behind were massive debts owed to contractors who had not been paid for three to five years and who had laid off thousands of workers and shut down equipment and plants,” Mr Fashola was reported by Premium Times to have said on Thursday while speaking at a South-west town hall meeting organised by by the Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed.

The meeting held at the Emeritus Professor Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, opposite University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State.

“That was one of the reasons why the economy first went into, and, I suspect, one of the reasons they (Goodluck administration) quickly conceded defeat,” he added.

Fashola said the administration of President Buhari has done so much with the little resources that has accrued to it.

“In a country where the population is growing faster than the infrastructure, the difference between these budgets must tell you that this government is more serious about providing infrastructure to support you.

”Another feature of the difference between these two budget sizes is that the last government was spending less on infrastructure for almost one decade when oil prices stayed at $100 per barrel during that decade. This government is spending more on infrastructure when oil prices largely hovered between $40-$60,” he said.

Fashola urged Nigerians to make the right choices in the next election “either to vote in a government that spends more on infrastructure or a government that spent less on infrastructure”.

sirequity:
Go To Court, INEC Tells Critics Over Buhari’s Non-submission Of Academic Credentials



Source: https://www.ngpolitics.com/go-to-court-inec-tells-critics-over-buharis-non-submission-of-academic-credentials/

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has told critics of President Muhammadu Buhari to go to court over failure of the president to submit his academic credentials to the electoral body.

Mr Buhari who seeks a second term in office failed to submit his educational qualifications to INEC while filling his presidential form.

He, insteatd, attached an affidavit claiming the Nigerian Army of which he served and retired as a major general, were in the possession of his academic credentials.

The claim did not go down well with some Nigerians who mostly said the president was being economical with the truth.



The critics are claiming that the president ought not to give such excuse again since the military was now under his control.

A similar scenario, NGPOLITICS recalls, had played out during the 2015 presidential election but many viewed it as an attempt to frustrate Mr Buhari who was a major contender in the election.

When a legal suit was slammed on Buhari, who was then a presidential candidate, compelling him to produce his certificates, the president hired over a dozen of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to defend his claims. He contested the election and came victorious. Those who initiated the legal redress withdrew their case.

Reacting to the development on Friday, Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of INEC said there was still room for legal redress if anyone who is in doubt of claims by candidates in the 2019 elections.

“Any person with reasonable ground to believe that any information on form CF001 submitted by a candidate contains incorrect or false claims is at liberty to file an action against such candidate at the federal high court or the high court of a state or FCT,” Mr Yakubu said while addressing a press conference.

“While the current exercise is limited to candidates for presidential and national assembly elections, the personal particulars of those contesting in governorship and state assemblies elections will be published on November 9, 2018, one week after the close of submission of nominations by political parties,” he added.