Refund N40bn FIRS fund allegedly used for campaigns, PDP tells APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the All Peoples Congress (APC) to reveal the truth about allegations that it channelled N40 billion taxpayers’ money from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to finance its 2019 campaigns.

The party in a statement issued on Monday through its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said that the allegation which has dominated public space in recent times has unsettled certain persons in the camp of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ologbondiyan also added that the development had further vindicated its position that the APC was an “extremely callous and hypocritical party, which has no iota of conscience but takes delight in depriving our citizens and pillaging resources meant for the wellbeing of our people.

The PDP also used the statement to caution the APC to be remorseful of its action instead of engaging in dirty infighting over how the money was allegedly shared.

“The PDP cautions the APC not to take Nigerians for a ride with its usual diversionary empty denials, finger pointing, hauling of insults and spurious accusations against the PDP, as the public already has reports of how very top leaders of the APC, including those operating at the Presidency, were used to conduit the money from the FIRS.

“The PDP holds that in a nation battling the scourge of corruption, misrule, huge unemployment, unprecedented infrastructural decay, insecurity, hunger and untold hardship, such a humongous allegation must not be allowed to go under the usual APC carpet.

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“Our party submits that since the APC has been overtly indicted, it should come clean by refunding the N40 billion to the public coffers from where it should be channeled to job creation projects without further delay,” the party said.

The development comes after the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) has denied allegations that it gave out N40 billion to be used as campaign funds to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The tax revenue organisation in a statement on Monday, lamented that the reports of fraud involving various amounts it allegedly released were false.

The denial is coming on the heels of reports that the former chairman of the organisation, Babatunde Fowler was mentioned in an alleged misappropriation of N40 billion in the presidency.

Fowler, who was removed last week by President Muhammadu Buhari, reportedly drew the ire of the presidency over his inability to account for the funds.

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