Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president-elect, came under fire from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday, for saying in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, that his administration would be harsh on corruption, especially in the public sector.
Tinubu made the commitment in Port Harcourt during a visit to Rivers State on the invitation of Governor Nyesom Wike to commission various projects.
“You don’t expect your judges to live in squalor, to operate in squalor and dispense justice in squalor. This is part of the changes that are necessary. We must fight corruption but we must definitely look at the other side of the coin.
“If you don’t want your judges to be corrupt you got to pay attention to their welfare. You don’t want them to operate in hazardous conditions,” he said.
However, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, responded to the comments by saying the President-elect lacked the authority to speak on corruption.
Addressing journalists at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja, Ologunagba said, “It is ludicrous that an individual who has been widely alleged to be an enabler and beneficiary of corruption can attempt to put himself forward to Nigerians as a champion of anti-corruption. Of course, corruption cannot fight corruption.
“The PDP and indeed all sensible Nigerians are alarmed, scandalised and embarrassed by the recent claim by the All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the inauguration of some judiciary projects in Rivers State that he will fight corruption in the country. “This statement by Senator Tinubu is completely sacrilegious and an assault on the sensibility of Nigerians.”
He further said, “It is in the public domain that as Governor of Lagos State, Senator Tinubu promoted and institutionalized corruption as an act of governance. It is on record that Senator Tinubu is alleged to be deeply involved in the infamous cases involving Alpha Beta Consulting Limited and Alpha Beta LLP, allegedly owned and controlled by him and through which over N100 billion belonging to Lagos State was reportedly stolen through shady tax collection deals.
“It is also public knowledge that there has been numerous allegations and evidence of corruption and complicity by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the declaration of Senator Tinubu as winner of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election. Today Nigerians and indeed the world believe that declaration was a product of corruption of the Process, Institutions and the Law by the APC and its Presidential candidate.
“It is therefore ludicrous that an individual who has been widely alleged to be an enabler and beneficiary of corruption can attempt to put himself forward to Nigerians as a champion of anti-corruption. Of course, corruption cannot fight corruption!”
