PDP Asks Buhari to Investigate First Lady over Alleged N2.5bn Scandal

Says INEC’s double standard threatens 2019 elections

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to show his zero tolerance for corruption by allowing for an open inquest into the N2.5 billion scandal, involving the First Lady, Aisha Buhari.

The leadership of the main opposition party has also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of double standards, saying the commission takes different decisions on electoral results, irrespective of constitutional provisions.

PDP said it was more scandalous that while President Buhari was in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York mouthing his war against corruption, a huge broth of corruption, in which his wife was mentioned, was simmering under his own roof.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan who disclosed this yesterday in a statement in Abuja, said that the scandal had further vindicated the stand of the PDP that President Buhari presides over a government of corruption, where his close relatives, officials and a cabal of associates are enmeshed in sleazy deals but parading as saints.

The party said it was instructive to note that the First Lady had already admitted that her detained security aide defrauded “unsuspecting associates and officials”, a position which inadvertently exposes the attempt by the Police to conceal the matter.

Ologbondiyan said Nigerians should note that the Presidency had suddenly gone dumb on a N2.5 billion fraud under its roof, saying, “does this not amount to admittance of complicity by the Buhari Presidency, which is becoming notorious as a den of certificate forgers and persons of questionable character.”

The PDP stressed that President Buhari, by now, must have learnt that Nigerians are not buying the lame denial by the First Lady, who had rushed to town to disown her detained security aide, Sani Baba Inna, just because the lid is off the can of worms.

Ologbondiyan said, “The PDP and indeed Nigerians have always pointed to the very expensive lifestyle and personal effects, including posh jewelries, daily paraded by close relatives of Mr. President, thus belying gimmicks and stunts of the first family being saintly and pro-poor.

“Also, there have been allegations of acquisitions of sprawling and choice property in Nigeria and other countries by persons close to the President.”

The opposition party noted that it is common knowledge that aides of former Presidents and those of former First Ladies are currently facing trial in open court over similar allegations, adding that this should not be an exception.

The PDP said it hoped that the detained aide will not be ‘escorted’ out of the country to prevent him from opening up, as was the case of disgraced former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.

Meanhile, the leadership of the main opposition party has also accused INEC of double standards, saying the commission takes different decision on electoral results irrespective of constitutional provisions.

The party added that the double standards being operated by INEC not only worries political parties but is a pointer to the fact that the 2019 general elections is under threat.

The National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus stated this yesterday when he received members of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) at the party’s National Headquarters,