Akpabio’s Travail Is Political Witch-Hunt, PDP Alleges

The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) has described the interrogation of former governor of Akwa-Ibom state governor and Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) at the weekend over an alleged N108 billion fraud during his eight years stewardship as political witch-hunt.

Addressing newsmen today in Abuja, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh declared that the interrogation of the former Akwa-Ibom state governor was part of the orchestrated plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) to intimidate, harass and ultimately force stalwarts of the PDP to dump the party for the ruling party.

“We have verifiable reports from our key members that agents of the APC have been approaching them to join the APC with threats to use the EFCC to victimize them should they refuse. The APC and its agents have been boasting that they have the powers to deal with or spare any person, depending on the party such person belongs to.

“This clearly explains why the so-called fight against corruption has been selective and focused against PDP members, despite counsels by stakeholders that it should be holistic and in accordance with the due process of the law.

“The best example of the curious nature of the war against corruption is the fact that former PDP governors and ministers are being hounded and arrested over apparently orchestrated petitions, while their APC counterparts, who have more damaging petitions are being nominated for ministerial positions.

“Even other APC former governors who have on-going corruption cases in court are being rewarded with APC tickets for the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa.”

Buttressing the arguments of selective arrests by the anti-corruption agency, the PDP spokesperson further claimed that he was aware of petitions before the EFCC on alleged financial sleaze of former governors of Rivers and Lagos State which had been spurned by the anti-corruption agency.

“On the issue of Senator Godswill Akpabio, we invite Nigerians to note that in the three rich states of Akwa-Ibom, Rivers and Lagos states, there were petitions against their former governors. 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 Senator Akpabio is arguably the least indebted state in Nigeria, and where the governor appropriately applied available resources to effectively transform the state. We challenge the APC to show Nigerians any of their governor that matched the feats achieved in Akwa-Ibom under Senator Akpabio, whose only building in Uyo is uncompleted and being built with verifiable bank loans.

“The PDP therefore state categorically that the orchestrated investigation of Senator Akpabio is politically motivated and targeted at weakening the PDP for 2019 elections, by virtue of his being the face of opposition in the National Assembly.

“It is also part of the fight by the Presidency to weaken the legislature as an arm of government and prevent it from effectively carrying out its constitutional role of checks and balances in a democracy.

“As we speak, no APC member, despite the public petitions of corruption and squandering of state funds, has been invited or questioned by the EFCC. 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 since the emergence of this administration, despite petitions against them.

“Recall that even the case of former Adamawa state Governor Murtala Nyako started before the advent of the current administration but it’s now reportedly being worked on ostensibly to extricate APC members involved.

“This government has established itself as a hypocritical regime that accommodates corruption, profligacy and sleazes in government quarters while hoodwinking the people and witch-hunting.”