By Kola Ologbondiyan, Director of Media and Publicity Presidential Campaign Council.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) condemns Saturday’s raid and unleashing of violence on the home of the sons of our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar by the Buhari Presidency-controlled Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as vicious, outrageous,dirty and reprehensible.
The invasion of Aliyu and Mustapha Abubakar’s home, even in their absence, allegedly in search of imaginary cache of foreign currency, has further exposed how depraved the Buhari Presidency has descended in the desperate plot to harm, traumatize and malign the character of our Presidential candidate and his family, having realized that Nigerians have aligned behind him as the next President of our country.
It is indeed appalling that the Buhari Presidency can now go as low as engaging in wicked politics of chasing after family members of a Presidential candidate, who are neither government officials, government contractors nor involved in any underhand dealings, but young students pursuing their legitimate personal educational careers without ill will to anybody.
While nothing incriminating was found in the apartment, the PPCO has been made aware of how the squad, said to be acting on ‘orders from above’ ransacked the house and destroyed valuables belonging to Atiku’s children and we demand an explanation from the leadership of the EFCC.
The PPCO completely rejects the wicked politics that the APC and the Buhari Presidency are importing into our polity. We hereby urge all Nigerians, particularly the youths, to rise in condemnation of these vicious acts.
Only last month, a special security squad of army, police and paramilitary agencies was unleashed to physically harass our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, at the Abuja airport, upon his return from Dubai
Similarly, last week, all transactions in bank accounts belonging to PDP Vice Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, his wife, his family members and their businesses were stopped by agencies of the Buhari Presidency on account of imaginary investigation.
Nigerians are already aware of how opposition leaders and others perceived to be averse to the President Buhari’s re-election bid, on account of his woeful performance in office, are being blackmailed and framed up with spurious charges.
President Buhari should note that, as an opposition Presidential candidate from 2003 to 2015, none of his children or family members were in anyway attacked or victimized by the government in power. He should stop importing such vicious underhand tactics into our political hemisphere.
Finally, the PPCO counsels the APC and the Buhari Presidency to come to terms with the fact that Nigerians have moved beyond them and that no amount of intimidation, harassment or attack on our candidates, leaders and their families will stop Nigerians from voting them out of office, come 2019 and electing our candidate, Atiku Abubakar.