The Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mahmud Jega, has tackled the Publisher of Daily Nigerian, Jaafar Jaafar, and London-based Nigerian human rights lawyer, Bulama Bukarti.
He described their duo as ‘agents’ of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Jega, in a statement made available to Journalists I’m Abuja, knocked Jaafar and Bulama over an allegation that Tinubu stockpiled billions of naira, to sway voters during the general elections.
“There is no iota of truth in this claim which was concocted for mischievous and devilish purposes by these PDP agents,” he said.
In the statement, the APC presidential candidate’s media aide, also described as ludicrous and spurious an allegation by Alh. Atiku Abubakar, PDP’s presidential flagbearer, that his principal is mopping up new naira notes to buy votes.
“The allegation is simply ludicrous, spurious and a desperate attempt to divert public attention from the anti-people posturing of the PDP candidate, after he and Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi asked the Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN] not to extend the deadline for the use of old naira notes.
“They took the position despite the pains our compatriots are experiencing. They actively promoted the sanctity of the deadline in the calculated hope of reaping political windfall from the people’s suffering.
“We are not surprised that the PDP made a volte face to conjure a completely unfounded allegation against Tinubu. Having realized that Atiku’s selfish, uncaring position has generated popular anger and resentment against him, it came up with this absurd claim that our candidate.
The anger and resentment against him, it came up with this absurd claim that our candidate is mopping up new currency notes.
“We want to assure Nigerians that the claim is utterly false. Our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, being always the voice of the voiceless and champion of the underprivileged, at numerous rallies and campaign stops, identified with our people and boldly called on CBN to extend the deadline and end the public suffering.
“Also spurious, devilish and unconscionable is the claim by two UK-based Nigerians, one Bulama Bukarta and one Jafar Jafar, that the currency change was made because Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu stockpiled billions of naira in every state with the intention of vote buying,” he said.
According to Jega, Jaafar and Bukarti, “claimed they “heard” the “information” from “knowledgeable sources.” These “sources” clearly exist only in the partisan imagination of Bulama Bukarti and Jafar Jafar.
“They made this serious allegation recklessly without a shred of evidence, believing that by living in the UK, they are beyond the reach of Nigerian laws of defamation.
“We urge all Nigerians to disregard the allegations being peddled by the PDP and its surrogates, Bukarti and Jafar and continue to exercise patience and to exhibit love, support and determination until the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima ticket is delivered at the polls with a landslide”.
