Bank Accounts Of Buhari, His Family Were Not Frozen By PDP Government – Atiku

The Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has said that the bank accounts of the then General Muhammadu Buhari and that of members of his family were not frozen at the time he was campaigning to be President of Nigeria since 2003.

Atiku, who reacted to Buhari’s statement that he would provide level playing ground for the opponents in the 2019 general elections, the opportunity that he did not enjoy, said that such statement was not true.

According to Atiku, in a statement by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, while the PDP government treated Buhari with kid’s glove, his government has been persecuting, harassing and attempting to intimidate his likely opponents.

According to the statement, while the PDP government did not at anytime, freeze the accounts of Buhari or his relative through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), or any other government agencies, the Buhari government had so far “refused to reciprocate the good treatment meted out to him by the PDP and has instead persecuted, harassed and attempted to intimidate his likely opponents, even before they became candidates.

“Their businesses have been affected with the government either pulling out of or attempting to pull out of commercial contractual agreements freely entered into between government agencies and businesses owned or partly owned by perceived presidential opponents.

“Also, in a bid to intimidate the Presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar’s plane was invaded by a crack combined military team on November 11, 2018. That was unprecedented in Nigeria’s history and never occurred even under military rule.

“Opposition presidential candidates who participated in peaceful marches have been arrested and are currently facing trial. Others were set up by government agencies including the Code of Conduct Tribunal and were tried until the government’s case collapsed at the Supreme Court.

“The account of the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP was frozen even as opposition Presidential candidates were falsely accused of involvement in armed robbery and when the government’s case was falling apart, their main suspect suspiciously and suddenly died in police custody.

“An opposition candidate on the verge of winning an election was strangely charged for examinations malpractices and his win was overturned.

“Sadly, on Monday the 17th of December 2018, in a Freudian slip during a live TV interview, Garba Shehu, the President’s spokesman, revealed that President Buhari had ordered the National Bureau of Statistics to fudge the latest unemployment numbers seeing as they do not favour the government so close to an election.

“This is even as the President has refused to sign the amended Electoral Act knowing that the Act would prevent the government from rigging the elections.

“But the most telling action by the President was his attempt to foist his own biological niece as the Chairman of INEC but for the uproar of the opposition backed by the international community.

“These and other actions completely contradict President Muhammadu Buhari’s assurances and we thus urge the International Republican Institute and National Democratic Institute not to be hoodwinked by the President’s deceptive words, but to focus on what cannot lie – the evidence.”

Atiku recalled how Buhari ran for the Presidency in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015, saying that not once during those intervening years was he arrested, molested or persecuted in any way, shape or form.

He also recalled that immediately after his experience with Boko Haram terrorists in Kaduna on July 24, 2014, the then PDP administration bought him a $300,000 armoured and bombproof SUV for his protection, and to save his life.

“Muhammadu Buhari participated in several protests and marches, including the Occupy Nigeria movement and the 2014 APC march in Abuja and was not arrested or persecuted by the PDP.

“Furthermore, the PDP ensured that the Independent National Electoral Commission was independent and appointed disinterested individuals to its board including Prof. Attahiru Jega, who then President Jonathan had never met before his appointment.

“The PDP also ensured that vital government agencies like the National Bureau of Statistics were not politicised, whether or not their reports favoured the government.”