The All Progressives Congress, APC, has said that the declaration of Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, that he will grant amnesty to looters of national treasury if elected, shows the interest of the kind of people his presidency will serve.
Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC National Publicity Secretary, stated this at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Abubakar made the remark on Wednesday at a town hall meeting organised by the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, and Daria Media with support from the MacArthur Foundation.
The town hall meeting tagged: “The Candidates“is a two-hour televised series which features Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates of four leading political parties.
Mr Issa-Onilu said the utterance of Abubakar and his running mate, Mr Peter Obi was a redefinition of their presidential campaign slogan which he said was now:”Let’s loot Nigeria again” .
He said the APC was shocked by Abubakar and Obi’s confession that their administration would grant amnesty to looters.
He added that the APC therefore, align itself with the wide section of Nigerians who were now abundantly clear of Abubakar’s intentions if he was elected as the county’s next president.
“The insistence of Atiku and PDP to take us through this dangerous route where the nation’s economic policies and programmes are driven mainly by the interests of leaders, their local friends, and foreign partners constitute a present danger.
“Every well-meaning Nigerian must rise against this,” the APC spokesman said.
He added that the choices before Nigerians could not be more clearer with the utterance of Abubakar.
Mr Issa-Onilu noted that those who looted our resources and stole monies meant to build roads, provide regular and stable electricity and quality healthcare, were working hard to take charge again.
He said it was disturbing that Abubakar and his running mate could boldly face the nation and indeed, global audience to boast that the future of our country belonged to looters.
He recalled that Abubakar repeatedly told the nation that those who caused poverty, unemployment, poor infrastructure and misery for many Nigerians under his watch as Vice President, would be left to enjoy our commonwealth as long as they returned part of what they stole.
The APC spokesman added that this no doubt, must had gladdened the hearts of the country’s enemies.
“In a barefaced manner, the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku promised to roll out the red carpet for people who have wickedly teamed up with him under PDP to ruin our country,” he said.
He added that this was especially in an environment where many ordinary Nigerians, not being Abubakar”s friends were wallowing in prison for stealing their neighbours’ goats, phones, foods and such.
He further said that Abubakar had tried to crowd the public space with falsehood on Federal Government’s ongoing fight against corruption and efforts to ensure credible general elections.
He maintained that the real intention for Abubakar’s desperation for power, was to sell off the country’s remaining national economic assets to his friends and shadowy foreign concerns as he did in the past and had severally promised in his campaigns.
“From Atiku’s so called Dubai strategy meeting, the U.S excursion to Atiku’s recent letters to some foreign countries calling for their intervention in the 2019 elections.
“The big question before Nigerians has now been answered by Atiku: His spirited attempt to get foreign validation for his floundering presidential bid is not to serve Nigerians but to pander to the wishes of his friends, and some shadowy foreign concerns and interests,”he said.
Mr Issa-Onilu added that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had, however, pursued a foreign policy based on mutual cooperation with the global community.
He said the result of such policies had been the restoration and respect and standing of Nigeria in the comity of progressive nations.
This, he said, had also resulted in the successes the Federal Government had recorded in the fight against insurgency, improvement in our previously dilapidated infrastructure and failed economy.
Mr Issa-Onilu said these were surely not achieved by mortgaging of national assets for international support or rent-seeking by friends.
He maintained that Abubakar’s bid to trade national assets as an incentive for the support of his friends and foreign investors must be resisted by well meaning Nigerians.
“For the APC, we would not get tired of reminding the PDP and Atiku that Nigerians will never return to Egypt.
“The era of unbridled corruption and impunity is one mission the President Buhari-led government is determined to fight and win under a free, fair, and credible electoral process, with the support of well-meaning Nigerians,” he said.
NAN
