The All Progressives Congress, APC, has raised the alarm over plans by the Goodluck Jonathan-led federal government and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to arrest its national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other chieftains of the party using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, ahead of this Saturday’s election.
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who raised the alarm in a statement on Saturday in Lagos, said the PDP-led federal government also plans to freeze the accounts of companies, individuals and organisations believed to be financing the party so as to cripple its activities.
He said: “Without mincing words, we are aware that a RED ALERT alert has been sent to the EFCC to arrest the National Leader of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on trumped-up charges anytime from now.
“In addition, anyone who is suspected of being a financier of the APC is to be arrested, all in efforts to decapitate the main opposition party which is undoubtedly cruising to victory in the forthcoming elections.
“And as part of the offensive against the APC in the days ahead, there is a plan to freeze the accounts of companies, individuals and organisations believed to be financing the party, with the ultimate objective of crippling the party so it won’t be able to sustain its activities, like paying its agents on Election Day and other logistics.
“I am sure the question playing on your lips are: Why would anyone want to arrest APC leaders at this time? What have they done to warrant their arrest? Will there still be a level playing ground for the elections if the main opposition party is decimated just days to the polls?
“Well, we can tell you that this planned arrest is orchestrated by the same people who have sponsored a series of protests to the EFCC, on the basis of the same documentary against Asiwaju which they also masterminded. It may sound like an intrigue, but that is exactly what it is”.
Mohammed recalled that the party had on March 9, raised the alarm that there was a grand conspiracy to arrest suspected financiers of the APC, a plan, he said, was denied by the ruling party.
He said, “Then, during the meeting of the PDP Governors in Lagos on March 10, one of the Governors, Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, said all that needs to be done to break the APC is to ‘kidnap’ two of its leaders, apparently referring to Asiwaju and our presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
“Definitely, the current move to arrest Asiwaju and anyone they suspect to be a financier of our party fits into the alarm we raised and the open threat by Governor Lamido. How predictable can a government be?
“It is clear that the momentum has swung to the side of our party, with just a week before the Presidential and National Assembly elections. It is clear that Nigerians have rejected the PDP and have embraced our party, the APC, as the agent of the change that Nigerians so much desire”.
