2023: Disqualify Tinubu, Atiku over alleged US frauds, HURIWA tells voters

Prominent civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Thursday, urged the Nigerian electorate to reject All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu; and his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar over their alleged involvement in fraudulent activities in the United States.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, said both septuagenarians cannot be trusted with treasury of the Nigerian State going by their antecedents and suspicious history.

The group warned that both frontline candidates have questionable integrity and doubtable source of wealth, noting that Nigeria may become a rogue state should any of Atiku or Tinubu emerge Nigeria’s President at the general elections in 2023.

Fresh controversy has of late surrounded a document recently released by the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois over Tinubu’s alleged involvement in narcotics and money laundering in the early 90s.

Tinubu’s campaign spokesman, Festus Keyamo, on a national television on Wednesday night argued that Tinubu did not forfeit $460,000 in one of the 10 bank accounts linked to him and his relatives. Rather, the US authorities deducted $460,000 one of the accounts as tax on investments domiciled in US banks.

Keyamo also said Tinubu was roped in the drug trafficking case of two Nigerians who once stayed in separate flats in the same building where the ex-governor stayed at a time in the US.

In Like manner, Atiku allegedly paid $16.5 million to an American firm to help him destroy his opponent’s campaign message and procure a visa to Washington in the run-up to the 2019 presidential vote, according to disclosure filings seen by Peoples Gazette.

Commenting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “It is shameful the Augean stables and disgraceful wind blowing the rumps of leading presidential flag bearers. These allegations cannot be disregarded at all; the electorate must be guided not to make the wrong decision once more like in 2015 when Nigerians were deceived to vote in Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) as Nigeria’s President.

“The case of Tinubu is very unfortunate, going by Keyamo’s testimony that $460,000 was deducted as tax from Tinubu’s 10 accounts in America about 30 years ago! What shameless lie! $460,000 30 years ago! Even the billionaire in the world today don’t pay that kind of crazy and unbelievable ‘tax’. How can it be a tex when tax evasion was not what is on the court papers? Them if a tax, how much is Tinubu earning in Mobil in 1993 to have such money in a bank? These are issues that beg for answers.

“The money was a forfeiture! Clear and simple. A forfeiture because the source of the funds were suspected to be from narcotics. Keyamo and his ilk should know that they can no longer deceive Nigerians with dark propaganda.

“The damning claims coming out shows clearly that the presidential candidates of APC and PDP must be disqualified for their alleged involvement in fraud, drug trafficking and money laundering. Nigerians should know that if any of the two becomes the next President.

“Then Nigeria will become a ROGUE STATE and drugs and fraud may not be so much a priority for the law enforcement agencies under that government and this will lead to the civilised nations ostracising Nigeria as a PARIAH STATE.”