By Dapo Akinrefon, Omeiza Ajayi, John Alechenu, Adeola Badru, Olayinka Ajayi & Richard Thomas
ABUJA — Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and his All Progressives Congress, APC, counterpart, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, were at daggers-drawn over desperate attempts to gain power at all cost.
While the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, accused the PDP candidate of being desperate to capture power by any means possible, Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, faulted Tinubu’s claims of inherited wealth and trading in stocks to become rich.
Tinubu’s rags to riches story hogwash — SHAIBU
Mr. Shaibu, Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku, yesterday, faulted claims by Tinubu that he inherited wealth and traded in stocks to become rich.
According to him, Tinubu muttered these fairly tale in response to a question about the true source of his wealth when responding to questions from a BBC reporter in a recent interview.
Shaibu, in a statement, said: “Obviously thrown off balance when the BBC reporter asked him to disclose the source of his stupendous wealth, APC Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, responded by asking, ‘Are you an enemy of wealth?’ He subsequently told a fable of how he inherited property and also traded stocks like Warren Buffet. This is complete hogwash. This is obviously balderdash. Tinubu would do well to stop comparing himself with Warren Buffet, whose source of wealth has never been linked to narcotics by US authorities.
Tinubu’s source of wealth
“To be clear, questions on Tinubu’s source of wealth did not start today. US authorities said Tinubu revealed in bank documents that he worked with Mobil Nigeria Limited in 1989 and his salary was just $2,400 and he had no other sources of income.
“But records from his First Heritage Bank account showed that in 1990 (just within one year), Tinubu deposited $661,000 into his individual money market account and in 1991 deposited $1,216,500 into the same money market account. Where did he get the money from?
“On the other hand, Atiku Abubakar’s source of wealth has never been in doubt. The ones he has listed publicly include: NICOTES (now Intels) founded in 1989; Prodeco, 1996; Atiku Farms, 1982; and ABTI schools, 1992.
“Some of these companies like INTELS have had reputable Nigerians like the late General Shehu Yar’Adua and even traditional rulers on its board. We dare Tinubu to list his companies and source of wealth as Atiku has done.
“Bola Tinubu is a man who publicly boasted in Osun State in 2018 that he was richer than Osun. In 2019, he had bullion vans on his premises in Ikoyi and admitted to sharing money with his supporters.
“When he was challenged by journalists, he said he was not a government contractor. So, what is his source of wealth?
“Why can’t Tinubu be brave enough to reveal his source of wealth? For starters, this is a man whose name is not even on the CAC registration documents of any of the companies linked to him.“
My experience, democratic credentials prepared me for Presidency
— ATIKU
Speaking at another forum, the PDP candidate, yesterday, said his credentials as a public servant, businessman, part of the political class, who fought the military to return democracy as well as former Vice President put him ahead of other contenders in the 2023 presidential contest.
Atiku said this in his opening remarks at the Channels Television Town Hall meeting, in Abuja.
He said would use the scientific method to handle insecurity, review the Niger Delta Ministry and institutionalize tradermoni among others.
He said: “Nigeria has never gone through what it is going through at the moment. I was among those who fought the military, I went on exile. We (with my running mate) may not have all the answers but we will do by listening to Nigerians, it is not that we have not been listening but we are here to listen more.”
I’ll use the scientific method to deal handle insecurity
Atiku Abubakar, who described the Boko Haram insurgency as puzzling in response to a question on the security situation in the North East especially the Boko Haram, confessed that he was yet to fully understand what the whole Boko Haram insurgency phenomenon was about because there were several issues involved.
He explained that his plans to deal with the security challenges in Nigeria will be scientific.
He cited the example of the United Arab Emirates, UAE, where he said over 10 million people live but that one can hardly find a uniformed policemen on the streets yet crime is detected and dealt with speedily.
Atiku said: “I still cannot find in Borno State where a man can hide. I’ve been to the place called Sambisa, there is no forest there, just shrubs 30 feet above the ground when you are flying back to Nigeria, you see people moving.
“When I served in Borno, the then North-East, I did not see where any person can hide. Yet, we deployed the Nigerian military which used to be the best, they fought many wars outside.
“I’m puzzled. I don’t understand, maybe when I get there I will understand. Everything there is politics, business. What is required is leadership.”
Responding to a question about his plans for the Niger Delta, the PDP candidate expressed sadness that his ideas passed on to the late President Umaru Yar’Adua which culminated in the setting up of a Ministry for Niger Delta Affairs was yet to achieve its objective.
Read full from: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/12/2023-atiku-tinubu-in-verbal-war-over-power-wealth/
