A spokesperson for the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Festus Keyamo has vowed to institute a legal action against the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar over alleged money laundering and related offences.
“I am going to court. If they (PDP) wish this thing away, it won’t go away,” Keyamo, a serving Minister of State for Labour and Employment, said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday.
In a viral video, a whistleblower, one Michael Achimugu alleged that Atiku used Special Purpose Vehicles to usurp funds as vice-president between 1999 and 2007.
Keyamo and the APC campaign council subsequently petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Conduct of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and gave them 72 hours to arrest the former vice president over corruption allegations.
A spokesman for Atiku’s campaign, Dino Melayo later described the allegations against his principal as a fairy tale, adding that the council won’t engage the APC on the matter.
However, Keyamo said, “We will know whether there is fairytales when we get to court.
“In the case when they challenged my principal (Bola Tinubu), when they brought up dead documents from the US, I said go to court. Come out with your full chest and go to court. Up until today they ran away. I am going to court. If they wish this thing away, it won’t go away.”
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said he is prepared to face persecution if Atiku wins the February 25, 2023 presidential poll but said he would go to court.
“Whether Atiku Abubakar wins or not (of course, I know he is not going to win), I’m prepared to face persecution under his government. I am prepared to go to jail, I am prepared to be charged even if he wins the election,” he said.
He also said the country deserves to recover all funds allegedly diverted because they are public funds.
“The Nigerian people deserve justice on this issue. Every single money that was paid into that Marine Float Account must be recovered from whoever is the person. Nigeria must recover its money. Money paid into that account was public funds,” he stated.