The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday blamed President Muhammadu for the perceived failure of the anti-corruption war in the country.
Buhari had blamed the inability of his government to effectively fight corruption on the Nigerian system.
Atiku in a statement commended Buhari for admitting that he had not succeeded in fighting corruption.
The former Vice-President however disagreed with Buhari that the system was to be blamed for his government’s inability stop corruption in the country.
Atiku admitted that the system had challenges, but said with political will, the system could make progress.
He said when he was the VP from 1999 to 2007, the Obasanjo administration used the same system to speedily convict the former Inspector-General of Police Mr Tafa Balogun and other public officials.
Atiku said, “Mr President, the problem with your anti-corruption war is not the system. You are the problem. The system allows you to arrest, try and convict your former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (Lawal Babachir), who was fingered in a major corruption case, but you chose to let him go scot-free and you demonstrated your tolerance for corruption by giving him a prominent role in your re-election campaign and recently welcoming him to the Presidential Villa with open arms.
“The system allows you to arrest, try and convict Abdulrasheed Maina, who is suspected to have looted the pensions of millions of Nigerians. Yet you chose not to go that route, preferring instead to recall him, reinstate and double promote him.
“The system allows you to probe the $25bn NNPC contracts awarded without due process, but you chose to bury the matter under the carpet, hoping Nigerians will forget about that alleged grand scale looting exposed by a leaked memo from a member of your cabinet.”
The Punch
