PDP describes FG’s moves to question Atiku over N156m Bank PHB as laughable

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as laughable moves by the Federal Government to question its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for allegedly benefiting from N156 million ‘slush funds’ in the former Bank PHB.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday in Abuja, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP National Publicity Secretary, distanced its presidential candidate from the collapse of the bank.

Ologbondiyan was responding to the moves by the Federal Government to question the former Vice President over his alleged role in the collapse of the bank.

Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, who made the allegation at a press conference on Friday in Abuja, insisted that the PDP Presidential Candidate benefited from N156 million ‘slush funds’ and that he would be questioned upon his return to Nigeria from the United States.

But in a swift reaction on Friday, Ologbondiyan said Presidency is already afraid of Atiku’s rising profile, having dared the APC-led Federal Government to travel to the United States.

“While we understand that President Buhari and his dysfunctional All Progressives Congress (APC) are jittery over Atiku Abubakar’s soaring popularity ahead of the elections, it is reprehensible that Mr. President will descend abysmally low to fabricate outright lies and falsehood in a bid to discredit a more qualified and acceptable Presidential candidate.

“The PPCO makes bold to state that Atiku Abubakar has nothing to do with the alleged issues leading to the collapse of Bank PHB, but an honest and hard working Nigerian who has no skeleton of any sort in his cupboard, unlike President Buhari, who is now entangled in series of corruption allegations.

“For emphasis, even the Chairman of President Buhari’s Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, had since told the world that the Buhari Presidency has searched everywhere and could not find anything incriminating on Atiku Abubakar.

“The world already knows that this attempt to mudsling our Presidential candidate is coming out of President Buhari’s frustration over Atiku Abubakar’s successful outing in the United States, for which the Buhari Presidency has gone into full hallucination.

“This is in addition to their frenzied face-saving effort to divert public attention from President Buhari’s humiliating appearances in the respective rallies and Television shows he has had.

“The PPCO however, counsels President Buhari and the APC to note that Nigerians can see through their lies, fabrications and frustration and that their scheme against Atiku Abubakar is already dead on arrival,” the PDP Spokesperson said.

He, however, called on the President to account for how N9 trillion was allegedly stolen under his watch as Petroleum Minister as well as alleged involvement of his relations in the N1.032 trillion alleged corrupt acquisitions in 9Mobile and Keystone Bank Plc.

 

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja