…As APC asks police to prosecute fake news peddlers
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is irredeemably and hopelessly ineligible to contest the February 2023 election, alleging that he had been reportedly indicted and subjected to criminal forfeiture judgment for a narcotic offence.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, made the allegation during a press conference held at the party’s Secretariat in Abuja on Sunday.
Ologunagba noted that trafficking in narcotics is an international crime to which all nations are obliged and mandated to apprehend, prosecute and enforce any judgment or Court Order imposed on the offender.
He said Nigeria, being a signatory to the international convention on trafficking in narcotics, is obliged to enforce any Order or judgment imposed on any offender by a competent court anywhere in the world.
“For emphasis, the US Court Ordered that the funds in the amount of $460,000 in account 263226700 held by First Heritage Bank in the name of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu represent proceeds of narcotics trafficking or were involved in financial transactions in violation of 18 U.S.C. S1956 and 1957 and therefore these funds were forfeited to the United States pursuant to 21 U.S.C. S881(a)(6) and 18 U.S.C S981.
“Having been sentenced and fined by way of criminal forfeiture of $460,000 drug money in a criminal suit filed pursuant to the United States Criminal Code, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot by virtue of Section 137 (1)(d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) seek office as President of Nigeria,” the PDP spokesperson said.
Section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that: “A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if he is under a sentence of death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or a sentence of imprisonment or fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud (by whatever name called) or for any other offence, imposed on him by any court or tribunal or substituted by a competent authority for any other sentence imposed on him by such a court or tribunal.”
Ologunagba also alleged that seeing that it is technically out of the Presidential contest and further distraught because it cannot also field candidates at all levels in the 2023 general elections due to its illegal and unconstitutional congresses, the APC has resorted to unleashing hoodlums to attack PDP Presidential Campaign rallies and other innocent Nigerians going about their legitimate endeavors as witnessed in Kaduna and Borno states, in a bid to trigger a crisis and scuttle the elections.
“The plan of the APC is to instill fear in the citizenry, disorganize and weaken other political parties, frighten, hamstring and immobilize from conducting the 2023 general elections. The APC must note that its schemes, denials, threats and resort to violence cannot help. By the provision of Section 137 (1) (d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is not eligible to contest the Presidential election in Nigeria,” he emphasized.
But the APC Presidential Campaign Council accused the PDP and the Labour Party (LP) of sponsoring the publication of fake news against Tinubu in a bid to disqualify him.
The Council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, called on the police to investigate the circulation of the forged INEC statement and serve justice to those responsible.
“The opposition Peoples Democratic Party and its subsidiary Labour Party having realised they have no sure path to victory in the February 2023 presidential election upped their campaign of calumny, disinformation and misinformation on Saturday by sponsoring fake news against the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“They did it by forging the letterhead of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the signature of its national commissioner, Festus Okoye. The forged statement purportedly issued by INEC was disseminated to deceive the gullible public that INEC was investigating allegations against Asiwaju Tinubu that, they desperately hoped, will ultimately lead to the disqualification of the frontline APC presidential candidate.
“This inglorious path has been taken before since 2003 and in the run-up to the primaries of the ruling APC that produced Asiwaju Tinubu as the presidential torch bearer. Those who took this damned path of infamy lost their bet because Asiwaju Tinubu stands rock solid and indestructible,” Onanuga said.