UPDATED: APC gives EFCC, ICPC 72hours ultimatum to arrest Atiku

Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, over corruption allegations.

The campaign also issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Conduct of Conduct Bureau (CCB), to arrest the opposition leader.

The spokesperson of the APC presidential campaign council, Festus Keyamo, in a petition dated 16 January, asked the anti-graft agencies to arrest the former vice president on offences of money laundering, breach of the Code of Conduct Act, conspiracy, and criminal breach of trust and misappropriation.

According to Mr Keyamo, the campaign is acting on the allegations made by Michael Achimugu, who claimed to be a former aide to the PDP candidate.

Mr Achimugu, in a series of social media posts, accused Atiku of using Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) to commit financial fraud.

Mr Keyamo, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and serving minister of state for Labour and Employment, stated that Mr Achimugu provided substantial evidence to corroborate his allegations against the PDP candidate and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The minister said the accuser provided “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).”

At a press conference of the joint media directorate of the APC campaign on Monday, the party demanded Atiku’s withdrawal from the race.

Mr Keyamo, who addressed the conference on behalf of other members of the directorate, said Atiku violates sections 5, 10, 13 & 17 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

Sections 5, 10, 13 & 17 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act state as follows:

Section 5 says, “A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities.

Section 10 (1) says “A public officer shall not ask for or accept property or benefits of any kind for himself or any other person on account of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties.

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(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, the receipt by a public officer of any gifts or benefits from commercial firms, business enterprises or persons who have contracts with the government shall be presumed to have been received in contravention of the said subsection (1) of this section, unless the contrary is proved.

Section 13 says “A public officer shall not do or direct to be done, in abuse of his office, any act prejudicial to the rights of any other person, knowing that such act is unlawful or contrary to any government policy.”

Section 17 says “A public officer who does any act prohibited by this Act through a nominee, trustee or other agent shall be deemed ipso facto to have committed a breach of this Act.”

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In addition, he stated that there is section 18 (2) of The Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act), 2022 and section 311 of the Penal Code Law

Mr Keyamo added that Atiku must return all the money in the SPVs to the federal government and present himself for investigation and prosecution.

“In this circumstance, since the nation now knows that the Marine Float Account and other similar accounts were ‘SPV’ accounts, it follows that all payments made into that account were monies stolen from the public coffers. Therefore, we call on all security agencies to recover all monies withdrawn from that account by anyone for that matter,” he said.

The text of the conference was co-signed by Mr Keyamo, Dele Alake, Bayo Onanuga, Femi Fani-Kayode and Idris Mohammed, all members of the media directorate of the APC.