On Buhari’s orders, Obi’s bank accounts have been frozen –PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said on Saturday that the bank accounts of its vice-presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have been frozen on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The PDP spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, said in a statement that the opposition party decried the “stoppage of transactions on all accounts belonging” to Mr Obi, “his wife, his family members and their businesses by agencies of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.”

Ologbondiyan in his statement said the restriction placed on Obi’s accounts capped a string of harassments he had endured since emerging as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar in mid-October.

“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,” he said.

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He added that the Buhari administration would be embarking on a futile endeavour if it believes stringent investigation of Obi would yield anything meaningful for prosecution, saying the presidential candidate ran a frugal government and left over N75 billion in state account as governor of Anambra State between 2006 and 2014.

Ologbondiyan’s statement was however silent on the specific agencies responsible for the alleged restrictions.

Responding to the allegation when contacted by Premium Times, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), denied freezing Obi’s accounts.

The EFCC spokesperson said Saturday night that the claim was false.

“There is no where the EFCC is mentioned in this statement. The EFCC is a law abiding agency and committed to ridding the nation of economic and financial crimes. That, we would not relent to do.

“But let nobody cry wolf where non exist. Please direct your question to the author of the statement; and please let us not speak in parables. And let the media not interpret out of context,” EFCC spokesperson Tony Orilade said in a statement.

Rasheedat Okoduwa, a spokesperson for the ICPC, also said the agency was not responsible for any purported freezing of the accounts of Obi.

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