Society Gists

The presidency last night dismissed the threat by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to expose members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s family who were alleged to have owned N1 trillion shares in both Keystone Bank and 9mobile.

Reacting to the allegation last night in a telephone conversation with THISDAY, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the presidency had no proof of such accusation and hence would not react to an allegation that could not be proved.

He challenged the opposition party to make real its threat by making public the evidence that it claimed to be at its disposal.

“We don’t have any evidence of that allegation. We can’t react to what we don’t have any evidence about. They should go ahead and bring out the evidence,” Adesina insisted.

The Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation also challenged the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to prove, with documentary evidence, its allegation that relatives of President Muhammadu Buhari illicitly acquired shares in the two companies.

The spokesman of the campaign, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), spoke again Thursday, asking the PDP to come forward with its verifiable evidence of the claim and be forever quiet.

He said, “We also urge the PDP to stop making wild, unsubstantiated allegations of corruption without a modicum of proof. We have no time to respond to any allegation by the PDP without the backing of some kind of document or proof. When we see some scintilla of proof, we shall respond appropriately.

“And that is how we have treated the recent allegation of acquisition of shares in Etisalat and Keystone Bank by some supposed ‘family members’ of the president. No name was mentioned and no document was shown. Until you mention names, addresses of properties mentioned, we cannot follow them on a wild goose chase.”

Atiku had on Wednesday in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Phrank Shuaibu, alleged that some family members of the president acquired shares in Keystone Bank and Etisalat (now 9Mobile) and threatened to release more details about how the said family members allegedly acquired N1.032 trillion shares in the two companies.

The PDP campaign organisation’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, reiterated this yesterday, telling journalists in Abuja that Buhari no longer has the moral standing to seek re-election until he directly responds to Atiku’s revelation that the president’s relatives have soiled their hands in the alleged corruption scandal.

Ologbondiyan challenged Buhari to explain how his family members came about N1.032 trillion for the alleged acquisition.

He explained that it was not an issue for Buhari’s aides to howl about in the media, as it touches directly on his person, particularly his perception as a symbol of the Talakawa, while also calling on him to address the issue.
He stressed that the president should, therefore, not continue to dress himself in borrowed garb of integrity until he cleans himself of the stinking corruption of his acolytes, family and friends under his cover.

According to him, “It is a norm that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. Buhari and his family members have entangled themselves in corruption. Mr. President’s hands can no longer be said to be clean, until he proves otherwise.”

Ologbondiyan stated categorically that Nigerians are not interested in mere rhetoric or attempts by the Buhari presidency to divert public attention from the issue at hand, but demand that Buhari, who hitherto prides himself as Mr. Integrity, squarely addresses these grave issues in person.

He stressed, “Nigerians and the whole world to note that President Buhari’s refusal to personally address this matter means consent.