Obasanjo Is The Greatest Rigger, Tinubu Alleges

Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), has described ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as the greatest
election rigger in the history of Nigeria.

Tinubu said this at the presidential rally of the ruling party
in Lagos on Saturday.

“When he was asked Umaru Musa Yar’Adua admitted that the
election which brought him into office was rigged,” he said.

“Who conducted that election?” he asked and the crowd chorused
“Obasanjo”

Continuing, Tinubu said “Obasanjo is the greatest election
rigger in this country.”

He also accused Obasanjo of truncating the plan to have steady
power in Lagos and by extension the country.

Tinubu lamented that major multinational companies like Dunlop
and Michelin would not have left the country if the Obasanjo
government had tackled the challenge of unstable power.

“Then, Obasanjo came. We taught them that there was no other way
to have business evolution and revolution in this country without
steady power supply,” he said.

“I introduced independent generating power projects in Badagry.
What did he do? He and Atiku opposed it. I went to court. Who was
my lawyer in court? Osinbajo. I won in court and we started
generating 300MW, the first state to do it.

“Imagine, that was in 1999. If Nigeria was dedicated to
electricity generation, you would not see Dunlop and Michelin move
out of the country. Look at our roads, look at the vehicular
density in Lagos alone.”

Tunde Ayeni Neither Poisoned Nor Dead-EFCC

The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC has been drawn to a report in Thisday newspaper of Saturday,
February 9 with the headline: “EFCC Has Poisoned Tunde Ayeni in
Custody, Allege Opposition Parties.”

The report according to the author, followed a press release
issued on Friday, February 8, in Abuja by the spokesman of the
Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) CUPP, Mr Ikenga
Ugochinyere, wherein he claimed that “a credible source” revealed
to him that Ayeni was currently undergoing treatment “in an
undisclosed medical facility after he was poisoned in the detention
cell of the EFCC.” Other journalists have called to ask if the
story is true that he was dead.

Given that the intention of this false alarm is to incite public
opinion against the Commission, we found it compelling to state in
no unclear terms that Mr Ayeni upon arrest and conveyance to the
Commission was neither offered food nor drink by our
operatives.

There was also nothing consumable: food, drink or water that was
brought to him within the brief period he was with his
interrogators. When he complained of illness and opted to see a
doctor, which he was promptly obliged.

We also wish to state that so far, there has not been any report
of any dire health condition on Mr Ayeni and it’s likely there
would not be. The public may wish to know that the Commission in
the course of its duties has become conversant with all manners of
theatrics from some suspects who would elect not to cooperate.

It is also our desire to inform the CUPP that as a Commission,
we follow due process, and that we are a law-abiding entity and as
such, will not keep Ayeni longer than required by law. We also give
our word that he will have his day in court as and when due.

It is important at this point that we restate that the
Commission under the leadership of its Acting Chairman, Ibrahim
Magu is well insulated from going-ons in the political space and
that our mandate is well cut out for us by constitution.

We therefore wish to clarify that Ayeni as former Chairman of
the failed Skye Bank has allegations of corruption to thrash out
with us. It was strictly for this purpose that he became our
guest.

Any other consideration outside this is unknown to us. Again,
much as we find the claim of being handed a list of 45 opposition
figures “to invite, arrest, detain and restrain before the opening
of polls on February 16,” as contained in the CUPP release utterly
nonsensical, we note that it is a grave disservice to the country
at this material time for anyone to seek to aggravate the heat in
political space with a reckless rumour such as this from the
CUPP.

We therefore, urge the public not to be swayed by the rumour but
treat it with the disregard it thoroughly deserves.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Medua & Publicity
February 9, 2019