The All Progressives Congress (APC) has again asked Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to withdraw from the 2023 presidential race.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the ruling party’s demand was restated late on Wednesday through Bayo Onanuga, its Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Director of Media and Publicity.
The move, the party claimed, had become imperative following the allegation of corruption levelled against the PDP candidate.
Recall that one Michael Achimugu, who claims to be a former aide to the PDP flag bearer, accused him of using the Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to usurp funds when he was Nigeria’s Vice President between 1999 and 2007.
The APC subsequently called for the arrest and prosecution of Atiku for alleged money laundering and a breach of the penal and criminal code.
Now, the party is repeating its call.
“Rather than address the allegations of criminal money-laundering and reckless abuse of public trust levelled against Atiku Abubakar, by one of his closest aides, the Peoples Democratic Party today tried in vain to defend its presidential candidate by embarking on a puerile diversionary journey by drumming up a stale allegation against his rival.
“The issues the Nigerian people want the PDP to address are simple.
“They are: Was the whistleblower, Michael Achimugu, who swore to an oath, employed by Atiku?
“Did Atiku make a scandalous confession in a telephone conversation on how he and his former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo set up SPVs, such as Marine Float, to steal public money?
“Was the taped voice not Atiku’s?
“It is obvious that the PDP presidential candidate has no defence to these allegations, which he admitted in his viral confession.
“This was the reason we boldly made the call on him to beat the path of honour, for once, by withdrawing from the presidential race.
“We also urged the authorities to hold him to account,” the APC PCC’s statement reads.
