Festus Keyamo, senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and spokesperson of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the EFCC and the ICPC to arrest Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP, for alleged grand-scale corruption.
In a petition to the agencies, Keyamo said the revelations of a whistleblower, Michael Achimugu implicated Atiku as siphoning public funds through proxies –”special purpose vehicles” while he was vice-president.
He asked the agencies to act on the petition or face a lawsuit.
He said: ”For about a week now, Nigerians have been in shock over the public revelations of a whistleblower, Mr. Michael Achimugu, who has provided the nation with evidence of letters of appointment by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, emails, documents, audio clips, sworn affidavit and his direct oral evidence as to how Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who happens to be the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), during his tenure as Vice-President of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007, colluded with his then boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, to fleece the country and steal public funds using what he termed as “Special Purpose Vehicles” (SPVs). Those SPVs were companies Atiku admittedly registered upon assumption of office as Vice-President (with the approval of President Olusegun Obasanjo) using “trusted allies” as shareholders and Directors. The purpose was to divert government contracts to these companies as “consultants” and then pay monies into these companies and use those monies to fund the PDP and their private businesses and family activities.
”I understand that the law-enforcement agencies may be reluctant to act simply because of the perception of persecution of a Presidential candidate that this may evoke.
”However, facts are sacred. The facts so far presented to the world clearly indicate that Atiku Abubakar has a case to answer. In other climes when such serious allegations arose in the middle of campaigns, the law-enforcement agencies acted decisively. Recall, in 2016, in the middle of campaigns for the exalted office of the Presidency of the United States, the FBI opened investigation into allegation of misuse of private emails against Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State. In fact, the case was referred to the Justice Department for likely prosecution few weeks to actual voting.
”TAKE NOTICE that because this matter is of great national importance, I expect you to act with alacrity and a sense of duty within Seventy-Two (72) hours of the receipt of this petition.
”TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that if you fail, refuse and/or neglect to act, I shall be proceeding to court to compel you to act.
”The ball is in your court and Nigerians are waiting and watching.”
