Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) over a recent comment of the state chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Sunday Fagbemi, that the ruling party will use the state’s treasury to defeat the political oppositions in the forthcoming general elections in the state.

The state APC chairman, over the weekend at Obbo-Aiyegunle in Ekiti local government area of the state was reported to have told the APC supporters that the APC would match funds for funds and “if it is possible the party would use state funds to defeat the opposition, PDP during the forthcoming general elections in the state”.

The comment, which was reportedly made in Yoruba language and translated into English thus: “We are in government from top to bottom for Kwara State. We have enough access to government funds such that if PDP leaders want to spend like us, they will just go bankrupt.”

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Thursday, the state chairman of the PDP, Hon. Muhammed Babatunde said that the written petition was also used to alert the two anti-graft agencies to monitor and stop any illegal cash withdrawals and transfers from all Kwara state government bank accounts.

“We in the PDP are vindicated by the unguarded statement by the Chairman of the Kwara APC. Indeed Kwarans now know the nefarious plans of the APC for the funds they have siphoned and continue to siphon from our common patrimony daily.

“lt is clear that they intend to use the funds they have pilfered to induce voters, cause confusion and undermine the electoral process in order to secure the re-election of the APC-led administration in the coming elections.

“We all see how the governor’s glossy and expensive re-election campaign billboards and posters are changed almost daily, obviously using state funds.

“We will like to remind the empty but loud chairman of Kwara APC that neither “outspending” the opposition, nor expensive, glossy billboards, banners and posters will win re-election for the Kwara State APC-led government

“The APC needs to understand that the alleged poor performance by its administration, the failure to live up to the expectation that it has raised and its “Promise and Fail disposition is the albatross hanging on the necks of all its candidates in the 2023 elections as well as its leaders at all levels in Kwara state," he said.

The chairman, however, said that “It is clear that the PDP is the party that deserves the vote of Kwarans in the February 25 national elections and March 11 state elections.

“We urge the good people of Kwara to vote for PDP candidates across board so that we can rescue Nigeria and Kwarans in the forthcoming general elections,” he said.(Nigerian Tribune)

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