Atiku calls for probe of Buhari’s relatives who allegedly co-own Etisalat Nigeria, Keystone Bank

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has called for independent investigations into the ownership of Etisalat Nigeria and Keystone Bank.

In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Wednesday, December 26, 2018, the former vice president alleged that some members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s family own a substantial share in multi-billion naira telecoms giant, Etisalat Nigeria.

He also alleged that the president’s family has acquired mouthwatering shares in Keystone Bank as well as purchasing about N3 billion worth of shares in the new Pakistani Islamic Bank.

He said, “I know that last week was turbulent for President Buhari and I apologise for adding to his woes, but as he is insistent on the myth that he is spotless and anti-corrupt, if this is found to be true, this scandal would break every rule of corporate and public governance, since this will be the first time members of the first family will be openly involved in a once-in-a-lifetime deal that would make them all richer beyond their wildest dreams.”

He called for the appropriate authorities to urgently institute a probe to “unravel the hidden faces” behind the new ownership of Etisalat Nigeria, as well as Keystone Bank.

Atiku further accused Buhari of illegally using state resources to fund his re-election campaign while attempting to cover it up with claims of sourcing the funds from outside parties.

He further warned the president to stop any attempts to rig the 2019 presidential elections in his favour in his bid to cling to power.

President Muhammadu Buhari

The statement read, “The other day, a man who scored 15,424,921 votes to win the 2015 general election was reported to have been nominated by 14 million APC members at the Presidential primaries for 2019.

“Now, over 12 million farmers have donated to his campaign. Are they indirectly spewing out outrageous figures of people they intend to claim voted for them in the coming elections? Could that be why the President was flashing an occult double four hand signal that has gone viral? What did the hand signal mean?

“Does it mean that the President has jettisoned the idea of a free and fair election and telling Nigerians that no matter how they vote, he will return for a second term of four years?

“In any case , if the farmers who just took a loan through the borrowers anchor programme and have not liquidated the facility can donate this huge sum or any sum for that matter, it means the ‘Association of widows and children of all those slain by Boko Haram and herdsmen’ will donate N5 billion to the Buhari campaign.

“In fact, the 23.1 million youth who lost their jobs between 2016 till date will donate about N12billion to the Buhari campaign.

“Assuming but not even conceding that such a huge sum of money was donated to President Buhari by Nigerian farmers as his handlers would want Nigerians to believe, wouldn’t such donation be in contravention of Section 91 (9)of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which says no individual or other entity shall donate more than N1 million to an aspirant or a candidate?”

“We have no stand on whether or not President Buhari should run for office. That is his prerogative and that of his party. But we believe it is improper for public office holders to forcefully loot public funds, on behalf of a sitting president seeking a second term in office.

“What this means is that there is a ‘war chest’ which apparently is from the national coffers.”

2019 presidential election

While next year’s election, scheduled for February 16, 2019, is expected to be keenly-contested between President Buhari and Atiku, they both face competition from other candidates including Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Obiageli Ezekwesili of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).

Others are Tope Fasua of the Abundance Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Eunice Atuejide of the National Interest Party (NIP), Adesina Fagbenro-Byron of the Kowa Party (KP), Chike Ukaegbu of the Advanced Allied Party (AAP), Hamza Al-Mustapha of the People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN), Obadiah Mailafia of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and many more.

79 candidates will contest in the election, the highest number ever in Nigeria’s electoral history.