By Isaac Samuel
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the President Bola Tinubu administration to investigate and prosecute him if it has evidence linking him to wrongdoing in the controversial $16 billion power project.
Atiku said he was ready to face investigation and prosecution if the government could establish any case against him, accusing the administration of reviving old allegations to divert attention from questions over the management of public funds.
In a statement on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president said the National Assembly had previously investigated the power projects but never invited him to respond to any allegation of wrongdoing.
“The National Assembly investigated the power projects. I was never invited to answer any allegation of wrongdoing,” Atiku said.
He explained that although he chaired the National Council on Privatisation as vice president, he disagreed with the concept of the power project and did not preside over its implementation.
“The responsible minister did. The same applies to the Aluminium Smelter matter,” he said.
Atiku, who served as vice president from 1999 to 2007, said successive administrations had had ample opportunity to investigate him since he left office.
“I have repeatedly asked to be investigated. I left office in 2007 and have spent much of the period since then opposing governments in power.
“If there is evidence that I stole public money, why has no government produced it before a court?
“It is still not too late. Investigate me. Invite me. Produce the evidence. Prosecute me if you have a case. But propaganda cannot substitute for evidence,” he said.
The former vice president also linked the renewed allegations to his criticism of the Tinubu administration over the utilisation of revenues generated following the removal of fuel subsidy.
According to him, Nigerians accepted the economic hardship caused by subsidy removal on the promise that the resulting savings would be used to fund development.
“They removed subsidy from the poor and promised that the sacrifice would free resources for development. Nigerians accepted extraordinary pain on that promise,” he said.
Atiku said the cost of petrol, transportation and food had increased while the purchasing power of Nigerian workers had declined.
He also questioned the continued provision of fiscal incentives, waivers, tax credits and concessions to what he described as powerful economic interests despite increased government revenues.
“So our question remains brutally simple:
where is the people’s money?” he asked.
Atiku accused the government of double standards for describing interventions targeted at poor Nigerians as economically irresponsible while treating incentives benefiting powerful interests as necessary economic measures.
He said he would not be deterred by what he described as sponsored social media attacks from demanding accountability or proposing policies aimed at restoring Nigerians’ purchasing power.
“If you have evidence against Atiku, bring it. If you have a case, prosecute it. But if you have neither, stop manufacturing distractions and answer Nigerians: You removed the subsidy. You collected the savings. Where is the money?” he said.
