The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate his much touted integrity by allowing an open investigation of his associates and close relatives, who were mentioned in alleged looting of public resources.

The opposition party accused Presidency officials of concealing malpractices by the President’s relatives with the recent attempts by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to gag a suspect who claimed to have engaged in illegal transactions with one Mariatu, a sister to the First Lady.

One Amina Mohammed, who was paraded by the DSS about two weeks ago, had also mentioned name of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. David Babachir Lawal as a beneficiary of the alleged illegal deals.

“Having reviewed all these issues, including the lame denials by those mentioned by the suspect, as well as the failure of the security agency to allow the suspect to complete her open confession, the PDP challenges President Buhari to order an open hearing into the matter, if, indeed, the Presidency has nothing to hide”, a the statement by PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan said.

The party also challenged President Buhari to immediately make public the report of the investigation of the former aide of the First Lady, Mr. Baba-Inna, who was arrested in September this year, over accusations of receiving N2.5 billion as donations from politicians, businessmen and women on behalf of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari.

The statement continued, “Our party holds that President Buhari cannot be parading himself as Mr. Integrity while condoning acts of corruption by his associates and close relatives as well as a cabal in his presidency, which the First Lady had even alluded to, if he is not directly benefiting from those sleazes

“The PDP also dares President Buhari to make public the official report allegedly indicting his Presidency on the siphoning of over N11 trillion in the petroleum sector, including the N9 trillion oil sleaze detailed in the leaked memo at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“Furthermore, the Buhari Presidency should allow an open inquest into the alleged diversion of defence funds, including part of the $1 billion drawn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for purchase of military hardware and welfare of our soldiers, to fund his ill-fated re-election campaign.

“The PDP also challenges President Buhari to make public the report of the looting of over N33 billion meant for the purchase of food for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as another N18 billion IDP fund, discovered by the Senate, to have been diverted to APC interests.

“It is unfortunate that President Buhari has allowed the festering of sundry racketeering and abuse of fiscal process in his presidency, a situation, which casts a long shadow on his acclaimed integrity as a leader.

“Unless President Buhari allows an open inquest on his associates and close relatives involved in alleged treasury looting, he lacks all moral standing to seek re-election by Nigerians, who have been bearing the brunt of his misrule in the last three and half years”.

•Sourced from The Nation report

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