The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said president-elect Bola Tinubu cannot fight corruption because he is an alleged enabler of corruption.
The party was reacting to Tinubu’s comment at the commissioning of some judiciary projects in Rivers State where he said he would fight corruption in the country.
The opposition party while describing the comment as sacrilegious challenged the president-elect to start by publicly and personally addressing Nigerians on the numerous corruption allegations about him, including the Alpha Beta cases and alleged improper acquisition and conversion of Lagos State government landed properties worth billions of naira to himself, family, associates and cronies.
The national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba at a press conference, said; “The statement by Senator Tinubu is completely sacrilegious and an assault on the sensibility of Nigerians, having regard to his records of alleged corruption and having been described variously as an embodiment of corruption in his public life.
“It is in the public domain that as governor of Lagos State, Senator Tinubu promoted and institutionalised corruption as an act of governance.
It is on record that Senator Tinubu is alleged to be deeply involved in the infamous cases involving Alpha Beta Consulting Limited and Alpha Beta LLP allegedly owned and controlled by him and through which over N100 billion belonging to Lagos State was reportedly stolen through shady tax collection deals.
“It is also public knowledge that there has been numerous allegations and evidence of corruption and complicity by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the declaration of Senator Tinubu as winner of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election. Today Nigerians and indeed the world believe that that declaration was a product of corruption of the Process, Institutions and the Law by the APC and its Presidential candidate.”
PDP spokesman said It is ludicrous that an individual who has been widely alleged to be an enabler and beneficiary of corruption can attempt to put himself forward to Nigerians as a champion of anti-corruption.
“Of course, corruption cannot fight corruption! If indeed Senator Tinubu is desirous of fighting corruption, the starting point should be that he publicly and personally address Nigerians on the numerous allegations of corruption, including the Alpha Beta cases and alleged improper acquisition and conversion of Lagos State Government landed properties worth billions of naira to himself, family, associates and cronies.”
The PDP added that Tinubu’s claim on corruption was a further attempt to corrupt, cultivate, patronize, lure and compromise the judiciary ahead of the commencement of the hearing of the residential Election Petition Tribunal on Monday, May 8, 2023.
“The PDP therefore calls on the Judiciary to be wary of attempts by the APC and its Presidential Candidate to patronize them in the course of the discharge of their Constitutional duties as impartial arbiter, particularly in the pending Petition before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal,” the party said.
Last modified: May 6, 2023
