APC now safe haven for thieves – Party stalwart

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi state, Alhaji Nasiru Ibrahim Darazo has alleged that the party has become a hiding place for those who have stolen public funds in the country. Nasiru who is a former Secretary, Publicity Committee of the APC in Bauchi state levelled the allegation while reacting to the lifting up of Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar’s hand as the APC Guber candidate by President Muhammadu Buhari‎ during the party’s flag-off campaign for Bauchi on Saturday. He accused President Buhari of not reciprocating the love shown to him by the people of Bauchi State since the beginning of his political career for supporting Governor Abubakar against their wishes, adding that the Governor does not have the majority backings of Bauchi people because he has failed them in more than three and half years of his administration. Nasiru said, “This goes to show us that President Muhammadu Buhari has no love for the people of Bauchi State, but rather it is the people of Bauchi State that have passionate love for him. They have demonstrated that since the beginning of his political journey. We have always been loyal to him, but now look at what has happened “. He argued that the president should have waited until all complaints relating to the primary elections of the party in the state is resolved before acknowledging any of the governorship aspirants as the party’s flag bearer in Bauchi in the interest of justice and fairness. “I want to tell you that it has now become glaring that our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has become a safe haven for thieves. Once a person who has stolen and stolen from the government coffers is accosted by the EFCC he or she simply ran to the APC for safety and that’s all. He goes about his normal businesses without hitches. It is now evidently clear that the party is protecting looters of our common resources that defected to its fold”, Darazo said. He said when former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Senator Victor Akpabio was approached by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) he defected to APC and became free and the Federal government is not talking about him now. “Look at what happened in the case of Akpabio, the EFCC was after him day-in day-out, but as soon as he announced his defection to ‎APC he became free, the government is not talking about him again, EFCC is not after him again and he has now become clean. Muazu was a governor under PDP for eight years and its National Chairman prio to 2015 general elections. It is known to everyone that he ran out of the country since Buhari became the president, he has not been seen in Nigeria since then until now when he came back and said he has joined APC”. Alhaji Darazo recalled. He said even former Governor Isah Yuguda who was treated badly after his exit from Ramat House, Bauchi also defected to the ruling APC. “At a time, Yuguda was denied exit from his own house until we made contact in Abuja before he was allowed to go out, the EFCC sealed up his house, they were looking for him here and there. But believe me, now that he has joined the APC he will start moving anywhere freely”.‎ Darazo said. He accused the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) of shielding members of the ruling All Progressives Congress by saying, “once you are not with the APC, the EFCC will be threatening you with arrest, they will label you a thief, that you have stolen so and so amount but if you defected to APC you become save, you become innocent, you will become a saint, so, that means there is no justice in the APC now”. He said that the electorates in Bauchi state will vote out the incumbent Governor Abubakar despite the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has thrown his support for him. According to him, the people of Bauchi are aware that Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar has failed them by not delivering up to their expectations and will vote against him in the forth coming general elections. Samuel Luka, Bauchi