PDP tasks EFCC to arrest Tinubu over tax evasion allegation

By Dirisu Yakubu
ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prove the strength of its integrity by investigating and prosecuting the All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, over allegations of tax fraud.

APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu being ushered into a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari by Presidency officials at the State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 30/10/2017

The party said failure of the EFCC to invite and question Tinubu over an alleged N160 billion tax fraud by a company linked to him will not only suggest that it has become corrupt under the Buhari Presidency, but also exposes the level of rot in the APC administration.

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party accused the anti-corruption agency of harassing political opponents of the Buhari administration while looking the other way in matters of sleaze against members of the ruling party.

“Nigerians can now see how the same Ibrahim Magu-led EFCC, which rushes to pounce on, arrest and lock up innocent Nigerians, particularly, perceived political opponents of President Buhari, without investigation, has practically gone frozen and toothless because a member of the APC cabal is involved.

“Does it not smack of hypocrisy that President Buhari, who boasted that he was going to jail more looters, has been looking the other way, while Presidency officials suppress investigations since whistle blowers alerted that Alpha Beta, a company linked with his party leader, Asiwaju Tinubu, allegedly swindled Nigerians to the tune of a whopping N160 billion in tax fraud?

“Is it not equally hypocritical that under the same President Buhari’s watch, where the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has threatened to block the bank accounts of tax evaders, a leader of his party had been dragged before the EFCC, yet Mr President is pretending to be unaware?

“If President Buhari is as clean as his handlers would want Nigerians to believe; if the Presidency is not complicit of corruption, the PDP challenges Mr. President to allow an investigation and prosecution of Alpha Beta, in an open court, just as his government has been harassing the members of the opposition, as well as perceived opponents.

“Nigerians can recall that when President Buhari declared that he will jail more looters, the PDP welcomed him and challenged him to start with looters in the APC and the Presidency and we insist that, in line with the promise President Buhari made to Nigerians, Alpha Beta should be charged accordingly.

“The PDP also insists that President Buhari cannot be approving the hounding of innocent opposition members or his perceived enemies on allegations of corruption while at the same time, always shielding and defending his party members openly accused and indicted for corruption, in addition to certificate forgers and national youth service corps deserters, holding top positions in his government,” the statement read in part.