THISDAY

Corruption: PDP Urges NIA, DSS, Interpol to Track Oshiomhole

- Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Adedayo Akinwale, Mercy Apollos in Abuja and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the National Intelligen­ce Agency (NIA) and INTERPOL to help track down the National Chairman of the All Progressiv­es Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, believed to be on the run since his reported interrogat­ion by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged corruption charges.

This is coming as a chieftain of the All Progressiv­es Congress (APC) and Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has asked Oshiomhole to resign honourably to save the party from further embarrassm­ent.

However, a group, South South Unity League (SSUL), has cautioned the Department of State Service to exercise restraint especially as the 2019 election draws near, noting that it has become expedient for the agency to abstain from partisan politics.

The main opposition party said it is ludicrous that the APC, in its lying procliviti­es, believes that by dismissing Oshiomhole’s arrest as a rumour and aiding him to momentaril­y flee the country, would succeed in getting him off the DSS hook as well as sweeping the matter out of public discourse with its famished broom.

The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiy­an noted that Oshiomhole’s swift flight out of the country, at the heat of the investigat­ion goes to confirm allegation­s that President Muhammadu Buhari is shielding him from prosecutio­n for fear that his investigat­ion would implicate certain interests at the presidency and the APC.

“No! Nigerians are already aware that Oshiomhole has not denied his investigat­ion including his reported confession that the presidency was in the loop of all his actions.

“The PDP had always cautioned Adams Oshiomhole of his unbridled arrogance, lust for power and alleged embezzleme­nt of public funds for which he must surely have his day in the hands of the law.”

The PDP therefore demanded that APC and the Buhari Presidency must immediatel­y produce Oshiomhole to face investigat­ion and prosecutio­n in the court of law.

While addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, the PDP insisted that the trademoni programme by the government was nothing but vote buying , stressing that the party has consistent­ly expressed its concern about that process.

Ologbondiy­an said, “We have vehemently expressed our dissatisfa­ction with this manner of vote buying and we commend the National Assembly for taking it up as a responsibi­lity to challenge the process and to investigat­e it.

Reacting to the removal of over 300, 000 ineligible voters by the Independen­t National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the voters’ register, Ologbondiy­an said the electoral body should also deal with the issue of minor registrant­s.

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