……APC: Authorities should investigate Atiku, Saraki, Dogara
……PDP: APC allegations mere fabrication
……Saraki: It is cheap, dirty and reckless politics
……Dogara: APC spokesman is smellfungus
Okenyi Kenechi, Port Harcourt
The arrest and arraignment of Ramon Abbas popularly known as Hushpuppi last week in a Los Angeles Magistrate Court triggered verbal warfare between the two dominant political parties at the weekend.
The All Progressives Congress(APC) had asked authorities to investigate alleged links between Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) chieftains and suspected internet fraudster.
Hushpuppi was charged before the Los Angeles magistrate court for money laundering and internet scam and faces up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted.
The APC, had in a statement by its spokesman, Yekeen Nabena, mentioned some of the PDP chieftains seen with the Dubai-based Hushpuppi as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President Bukola Saraki; former Speaker Yakubu Dogara; Senator Dino Melaye and others.
It wondered if the detained Instragam celebrity had anything to do with the multiple strategic meetings of the PDP in Dubai in view of his money-laundering charges.
The APC said: “While relevant authorities investigate the nature of their relationship and business partnership, we also challenge the PDP leadership to do same by opening up on the nature of the relationship, particularly the kind of services the arrested “Hushpuppi” provided them.
“In the leadup to the Edo and Ondo governorship elections, we renew our call against monetised elections and vote-buying schemes which the PDP has serially deployed in elections.
“We call on relevant authorities to up their guard to prevent these practices that threaten the sanctity of our elections. The people’s will and votes should determine elections, not illicit money used to buy votes.”
But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described as fabrications, the claims by the APC that its prominent members had links with the arrested fraudster.
The PDP said the allegations were reckless, irresponsible, adding that it further exposed the victimization agenda of the ruling party.
The PDP in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan said the fabrications have also further exposed how the APC administration has been using agencies under its control to frame innocent opposition members, dissenting voices, rival political parties and perceived opponents of the government on trumped-up charges under the guise of fighting corruption.
The PDP stated that the desperate bid to frame innocent Nigerians who are not in any way involved with Hushpuppi, even after a very broad investigation by prominent investigators including the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), leaves no one in doubt that APC government has been victimizing opposition members with fabricated charges.
The party also revealed that it has however been made aware that the statement by the APC is part of a heinous design by certain power mongers close to the APC administration to commence a fresh clampdown on perceived political rivals within and outside the opposition circles, ahead of the 2023 general election.
“Nigerians should not be surprised when the APC will begin to list the names of innocent political leaders, including those who are now being persecuted in their party, on trumped-up charges, for political interests.
“While our party has no link whatsoever with Hushpuppi, as the APC also acknowledged, Nigerians are aware that his pictures with some prominent Nigerians, such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, which the APC is frenzied about, do not suggest any affinity beyond the usual jostling by people, the world over, to be photographed with leaders.
“Of course, such happens to all prominent individuals, especially leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari.
“It is therefore unfortunate that a ruling party, which is now led by a sitting governor, is spending its energy to frame innocent Nigerians instead of confronting the myriads of economic and security problems it caused the nation, in addition to finding solution to the serious demands of COVID-19 pandemic.
“If the APC is indeed fighting corruption, it should have called for the investigation of its leaders who, as state governors, ministers and even APC National Chairman have been indicted for stealing and treasury looting.
“The APC should be calling for the investigation of one of their state governors, who was seen on a viral video, stuffing his robe with gratification, in foreign currency, as well as their candidate in a forthcoming election, who has been declared by a former APC National Chairman as a treasury looter, who is only good for “night meetings” and not fit to be state governor.
“Having been exposed, the PDP cautions the APC to steer clear of our members and other hard-working Nigerians, in various fields of endeavour, who are perceived to be opponents of the APC.
“Moreover, our party will not be distracted by the APC, which has gone into panic mode over its imminent electoral loss in Edo as well as Ondo state.
Saraki: It’s dirty, cheap and irresponsible politics.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki on Saturday denied any link with Hushpuppi.
Saraki described the allegation of the APC linking him with Hushpuppi as irresponsible and reckless cheap politics.
Saraki, in a statement in Abuja by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said he has no form of association with Hushpuppi and neither does he know him in any way.
He said: “The statement credited to the APC, the ruling party in our country, is one of the ways by which our anti-graft agencies are weakened and why the fight against corruption in the country is often viewed with suspicion by the international community.
“This is because when these cyber-crime suspects were operating freely and openly displaying wealth, the APC saw nothing bad in their activities.
“Also, the party at that time did not deem it necessary to call on the anti-graft agencies to investigate their activities.
“Also, since the arrest of those cybercrime suspects and the subsequent damage to the image and the economy of Nigeria as well as the crisis it created for Nigerians engaged in lawful businesses across the world, the ruling party had been muted.
“The only time the APC deemed it necessary to make a statement was when it thought it should play dirty, cheap and irresponsible politics.
“Dr Saraki was the only political leader who has publicly made a statement through an Op-Ed article published in the Daily Trust newspaper of July 1, 2020, titled “Cyber Criminals: Confronting The Few Who Dent Many” and this opinion article had been widely circulated online and on other platforms.
“In that article, he strongly condemned the activities of these cyber criminals and called on the law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to make decisive interventions to checkmate their activities.
“He has also got a research institution, the Politeia Institute, whose board he chairs to commence a research on the best ways to tackle the menace.
“Such a noble intervention in tackling a menace is what Dr. Saraki believes in, not mudslinging and playing politics at the expense of the nation’s image.
“At this point, we call on the APC leadership to rein in the so-called Yekini Nabena and compel him to desist from making and circulating such malicious, odious and offensive claims.”
Dogora: APC spokesman is smellfungus
In his reaction, the immediate past Speaker Yakubu Dogara challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to prove the link between himself and suspected international fraudster, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi.
Dogara in a statement by his media aide, Turaki Hassan, denied any ties with the suspected cybercriminal.
He pointed out APC leaders had also taken photographs with another Dubai-based Instagram celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha, aka Mompha, who the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting over alleged fraud, money laundering and running a foreign exchange business without the authorisation of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
According to the former Speaker: “This smellfungus called Nabena should have known that it is share mindlessness to attempt to execute mischief and blackmail in plain sight before the public some of whom are better informed. Who is that fool that links people to criminal activity simply because they appeared in a group picture at a public event comprising of people from different walks of life?
“If appearing in a group photograph is what Nabena is now using to establish a link or connection to crimes or alleged criminals, then, why didn’t he issue such a statement in the wake of the arrest of a suspected money launderer by name Ismaila Mustapha, aka Mompha, whose pictures with notable personalities including some APC governors are all over the social media? Is Nabena guilty of selective amnesia or share perfidy? Who is Nabena scared of? Who is he trying to fool?”
He went on: “For the records, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara has agreed to waive his right to a trial and go to jail if Nabena establishes any form of links or connection between him and the alleged cyber-criminal before the event where the picture was taken and after the event until now.
“For Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara, that picture was just another picture among the thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of such pictures with Nigerians from all walks of life.
“If the said Nabena is worth his salt, next time he speaks, he should speak to issues affecting the welfare of our union, which are well known to all discerning Nigerians.
“Nabena should or ought to know that there is no honour in speaking about group pictures taken at public events when the nation is bleeding and most Nigerian families are struggling and hurting”.
