From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has described as false and baseless, the allegation by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senate caucus that the present administration is being selective and partisan in its prosecution of the war against corruption.
He re-affirmed his zero tolerance stance against corruption, saying he does not interfere in the daily work of the nation’s anti-corruption agencies.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the president expressed regrets that the allegations were coming from members of the Senate, adding that such claim belonged to the past and not his administration.
Buhari advised that those accused of corruption should plead their innocence and not malice.
He remanded his accusers that since 2003 his stance against corruption had been known and he remained convinced that “unless Nigeria kills corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.”
The statement read in part: “We have noted with regret, the allegation by members of the PDP Senate caucus that the present administration is being selective and partisan in its prosecution of the war against corruption.
“We state without equivocation that the allegation is false, baseless and totally unjustifiable. For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, we affirm that having made his zero tolerance for corruption clear to all and sundry, President Muhammadu Buhari does not interfere in the daily work of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies.
The allegation of bias and partisanship in the fight against corruption should not have come from respected and distinguished members of the Senate.
That claim belongs to the past and not the present. Public officials and other leaders accused of corruption by relevant agencies should plead their innocence, not malice.
President Buhari’s unwavering stance is that whosoever is charged with corruption should face the law irrespective of whether they are members of the of All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), or any other political party. As far as the president is concerned, corruption has no political party, no religion and no ethnic group.
“It is important to remind the PDP Senate caucus and all Nigerians that right from 2003 when he started campaigning for the Presidency of the country, President Buhari consistently promised to do his best to curb corruption.
“The president remains wholly committed to fulfilling that promise and will not be deterred from the relentless prosecution of the war against corruption because he remains convinced that, as he has said, ‘unless Nigeria kills corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria’.
“The claim by the PDP Senate caucus that President Buhari and his administration are meddling in election petition cases through the Department of State Services (DSS) is also untrue. The duties of the DSS and other security agencies are clearly spelt out in the laws establishing them. The Federal Government, led by President Buhari does not give them instructions regarding their daily operations.”