PDP accuses Presidency of blackmail, condemns freezing of Peter Obi’s accounts

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the presidency of “attempting to blackmail” Peter Obi, its vice-presidential candidate for the 2019 general election, claiming that Obi’s accounts had been frozen.

The party also claims that aside Peter Obi, the accounts belonging to his wife, his family members and their businesses were also frozen.

This is according to a press statement by Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council issued on Saturday.

According to Ologbodiyan, since Obi’s nomination, the All Progressives Congress (APC) had made “failed attempts to destroy his reputation”.

The statement read: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) decries the stoppage of transactions on all accounts belonging to PDP Vice presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, wife, his family members and their businesses by agencies of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

“Since his nomination, Peter Obi, apart from facing series of failed attempts by the APC to destroy his reputation, has also continued to receive all manners of threats and blackmail, including threats to his life and those of his wife and children.

“Having realized that the majority of Nigerians are rallying behind the duo of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi as the our Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates respectively, the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have resorted to all manners of machinations, including smear campaigns and direct attacks on their persons and business concerns, in a bid to run them down.

“The Buhari Presidency is intimidated by Peter Obi’s resume, particularly, his general acceptance as epitome of fiscal responsibility, frugality and transparency in governance. Otherwise, why is the Presidency on a wild goose chase in investigating Peter Obi, who left office as Governor of Anambra State five years ago with a nationally acclaimed clean record, intact reputation for frugality, transparency, zero tolerance for corruption and leaving behind a huge saving of N75 billion naira in cash and investments; without owing any salaries, pensions, gratuities or even contractors for contracts executed. The fact remains that the Buhari Presidency and the APC are merely shadow boxing in their attacks on Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as their records before Nigerians speak for them.

“All discerning Nigerians know that the reasons for an investigation on a man like Peter Obi, is a journey to nowhere aimed to stifle him of funds as well as attempt to distract our campaign and divert attention from the failures of the Buhari administration. It is ludicrous that President Buhari would continue to condone the looting of our treasuries by his party leaders and the cabal in his Presidency, which even, the First Lady had even alluded to, only to be using government agencies to attempt to blackmail our Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates whose reputations stand clear before all Nigerians.

“The PPCO reminds President Buhari that neither he nor Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was in 2015, as candidates, harassed, attacked at the airport or subjected to blackmails, and wonder why they are now employing such tactics just because Nigerians have resolved to do away with them, come 2019.”