The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) on Sunday exchanged words over last week’s invitation of Senator Godswill Akpabio by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said on Sunday that the investigation of Godswill Akpabio, the Senate Minority Leader, by the EFCC was politically motivated.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, who said this in Abuja at a press conference, noted that the investigation was also aimed at weakening PDP ahead of 2019 elections.

Metuh said that verifiable reports from PDP key members revealed that agents of the APC had approached them to join the APC with threats to victimise them with EFCC should they refuse.

He said that this clearly explained why the fight against corruption had been selective and focused against PDP members, “in spite counsels by stakeholders that it should be holistic and with due process.”

Metuh noted that while former PDP’s governors and ministers were been arrested over orchestrated petitions, their APC counterparts, with more damaging petitions were been nominated for ministerial positions.

“Whereas the former APC governors of Lagos and Rivers were rewarded with ministerial nominations, their Akwa Ibom PDP counterpart and the current Senate Minority Leader is being hounded by the EFCC.

“This is in spite of the common knowledge that Akwa-Ibom under the Sen. Akpabio is arguably the least indebted state in Nigeria.

“The governor appropriately applied available resources to effectively transform the state.

“We challenge the APC to show Nigerians any of their governors that matched the feats achieved in Akwa-Ibom under Sen. Akpabio, whose only building in Uyo is an uncompleted building with verifiable bank loans.”

Metuh added that no APC member, in spite of the public petitions of corruption and squandering of state funds, had been invited or questioned by the EFCC, since the commencement of APC-led administration.

“We challenge the EFCC, as an anti-corruption agency to show Nigerians any member of the APC it has so far questioned, not to talk of being arrested.”

Metuh also accused the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SFG), Mr. Babachir Lawal of being insensitive to the mood of the nation.

“This is copiously demonstrated in Saturday’s ostentatious thanksgiving party (with hundreds of millions of naira spent), Lawal at a time the people of the North East geo-political zone, where he hails from are being ravaged by insurgency.”

In a swift response to the allegation made by the PDP, the President’s Adviser on Media, Mr. Femi Adesina, said that ordinarily he would not want to comment on such because they were comments coming from a political party and response are better from the APC leadership.

He, however, said that concerning the President, it was untrue for Mr. Olisa Metuh to claim that the President’s anti-corruption war was one-sided.

According to him, “Mr Olisa Metuh is sounding like a broken record. It’s the same thing that he says all the time. But let me assure Nigerians that the President has always maintained that even when it affects APC members, the person concerned must go and defend himself.”

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Olisa Metuh, had said at a news conference in Abuja, that unfolding events have confirmed the party’s position that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is only using the anti-corruption posture as a tool to witch-hunt PDP members and perceived political opponents of the APC government.

He stated that no member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite the public petitions of corruption and squandering of state funds, has been invited, questioned or arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

But Mr. Adesina wondered why the issue was not whether the people facing the EFCC actually committed the crime but Mr. Metuh is saying that it is one-sided.

“I think what is of interest to Nigerians is ‘did this people commit the crime?’ not whether it is one-sided.” (NAN/Channels TV)

•Photo shows Senator Akpabio.

Update news