2019: Group raises alarm over Atiku’s plot to bring in illicit funds
- Buhari Media Organisation has cried out over an alleged plot by Atiku Abubakar to bring illicit funds into the country
- The group said Atiku, in his desperate run, wants to outspend President Muhammadu Buhari
- In a rejoinder, Atiku fired back at the statement, said it was the president that has the history of what the group accused him of
Less than a week after President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off his presidential campaign at Godswill Akpabio stadium in Akwa Ibom, the Buhari Media Organisation has cried out over an alleged plan by Atiku Abubakar to bring illicit funds into the country ahead of the 2019 poll.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was also accused of desperation by the pro-presidency group, The Punch reports.
BMO also added that an attempt to bringing new notes from abroad to Nigeria ahead of 2019 is to outspend the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Legit.ng gathers that the group, in a statement released by its chairman, Niyi Akinsiju, and secretary, Cassidy Madueke, on Sunday, December 30, however, called on the the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and relevant security bodies to be at alert
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The statement read: “We have it on good authority that the PDP and its presidential candidate are making efforts to bring in public funds, including those from recent sales of assets in Angola, which were acquired with illicit funds.
“We also know that the former vice president has made promissory transaction commitments on a number of strategic national assets, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and a percentage holding in the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas to a foreign syndicate."
A statement by BMO also alleged that Atiku is trying to use different ways of bringing in money through the borders of the country in a way sabotaging the anti-graft effort of the president.
It also read: “It is clear to Atiku Abubakar and the PDP elements that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has put in place a system that has made it difficult for the type of the situation in 2015 where former petroleum resources minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, could warehouse $115,000,000, which was then shared among party officials to influence electoral officials.
“So these opposition elements are now working out a more crooked way of bringing in money through the borders in order to circumvent the system before and during the February 2019 elections.”
Reacting to the statement through his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku described the allegation as spurious lies in the face of facts, adding that it was the president that has history of carting money into the country.
He said: "History shows that rather than smuggle in looted cash, Waziri Atiku Abubakar prevented looted funds from being smuggled into Nigeria.
“In 1984, it was Atiku Abubakar, as head of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport command of the Nigerian Customs and excise department, that stopped the ADC of the then military head of state, Muhammadu Buhari, from smuggling in 53 suitcases of looted money into the country.
"It is Muhammadu Buhari who has a history and a record of smuggling in looted funds while Atiku has a history of preventing such from happening.”
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, October 29, raised an alarm about what it called a renewed smear campaign against its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar ahead of 2019 presidential election.
PDP described the smear campaign as an attempts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to paint Atiku black in the eyes of the electorate.
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Source: Legit.ng
