The Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday alleged that N14tn had been stolen under the All Progressives Congress-led Presidency.
It said the party and President Muhammadu Buhari were desperate to remain in power in order to prevent investigations into the matter.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, made the allegations in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja.
Ologbondiyan alleged that the stolen money included the N9tn allegedly stolen from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, as detailed in the leaked Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s memo; the over N1.4tn alleged oil subsidy sleaze and the N1.1tn worth of crude allegedly diverted using 18 unregistered companies.
He listed others to include the N33bn National Emergency Management Agency fund, and the over N18bn allegedly stolen out of the N48bn approved by the National Assembly in the 2017 budget for the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons in the North-East among others.
The party’s spokesman also claimed that the present administration’s “unwholesome” borrowing led to the escalation of the nation’s debt stock from N12.12tn in 2015 to N24.39tn in 2018.
He said within three years, Buhari’s administration had borrowed N12.27tn and yet could not point to any significant project which the money was invested in.
Ologbondiyan said, “The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Presidency and the APC are desperate to remain in power at all costs, so as to continue to exploit Nigerians, protect the APC corrupt leaders, cover their incompetence and conceal the humongous sleazes in their administration.
“This is the reason the APC and the cabal at the incompetent Buhari Presidency resorted to violence, intimidation as well as manipulations and alteration of results at the Independent National Electoral Commission to rig the February 23 presidential election.
“This also explains why the APC’s agents and certain presidential aides have been making desperate efforts to distract the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal and derail the course of justice by making and promoting baseless judicial interpretations and externalising the proceedings of the court.”
He added, “The PDP urges Nigerians not to despair but continue to be steadfast in the aspiration for the recovery of the stolen presidential mandate at the tribunal, as this is the only way to return our nation to the path of peace, national unity and a vibrant economy.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa- Onilu, proved abortive on Sunday evening.
Calls made to his mobile telephone indicated it was not reachable.
He had yet to respond to a text message our correspondent sent to him.
PUNCH.
