The Youths Vanguard of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of shielding the governorship candidate of the APC in Taraba State, Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi, from facing corruption trial.
The Taraba State chapter of the Youths Vanguard levelled the allegation in a statement on Sunday.
Danladi, a former Acting Governor of Taraba State, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and violation of financial regulations preferred against him and two others: Senator Joel Ikenya and Mark Useni.
They were accused of collecting N450 million from the former National Security Adviser, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, to prosecute the 2015 election in the state while they were members of the PDP.
Danladi since defected to the APC.
A Federal High Court in Jalingo had on October 23 summoned the governorship candidate to appear before the court on December 5 to answer to the N450 million corruption charges against him and the two others.
Danladi, however, did not show up in court.
The PDP youth group in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Mallam Uthman Abdullahi, said the APC candidate is deliberately avoiding and frustrating his corruption trial because of his closeness to the Presidential Villa and the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, thus casting aspersions on the ongoing anti-corruption stance of the APC-led Federal Government.
Uthman mocked the EFCC for remanding a former Governor of Kebbi State, Usman Dakingari, and three others over the same offence, but allowed Danladi to be walking freely because he belongs to the ruling party.
The statement said: “The EFCC should tell the whole world why its shielding Sani Abubakar Danladi and give reasons they could not present him in court for trail, but consistently drag the two other defendants in the ongoing case who are not members of the ruling party.”
Ikenya is a senatorial candidate on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, while Gana is a cabinet member of the PDP government in Taraba State.
Uthman added: “If the anti corruption agency is keeping former NSA Sambo Dasuki, former Kebbi Governor Dakingari and others in custody for their involvement in the Arms Deal probe, why can’t Sani Danladi be arrested and brought to court?”
The group averred that in saner climes, the ruling APC would have handed over Danladi to the police and the EFCC to prove its commitment to its war against corruption rather than shielding him from trial.
The group added: “Danladi who told EFCC interrogators that he chaired the 8-man committee that disbursed the money for Taraba State, and admitted that he and the other members of the committee shared N36 million among themselves while the balance of N414 million was distributed to other stakeholders across the 16 local government areas of the state and one Development Area Council, now suddenly decided to shun trial in the case because of federal might.”
The group said Danladi has been in Abuja lobbying from the office of the Vice President to the Chairman of EFCC and other cabinet members to ensure he does not face his ongoing corruption trial until after the elections.
It said: “Few days to his case last Wednesday, the APC candidate was pictured in a meeting with the Vice President Yemi Oshibajo, since then Danladi has been boasting to anyone who cares to listen that he wont appear in court for trial and he won’t be arrested.”
The group said President Muhammadu Buhari must rise and fight corruption beginning with his party members.
It said: “President Buhari must take a stand now, if he will sacrifice his integrity and war on anti corruption on the alter of political partisanship in favour of Sani Danladi.”
The group urges the EFCC to immediately arrest Danladi because it has allegedly uncovered plans by the APC candidate to leave the country few days to the next adjournment of the case.
The group berated the APC, a party it said is laying claim to fighting corruption, for nominating a candidate with baggage of corrupt cases.
It said: “Although it’s none of the PDP business who emerges APC candidate in Taraba state but for posterity stake, the APC and President Buhari should borrow wisdom from the PDP on handling candidates with corrupt baggage.
“In 2007 when the then governorship candidate of the PDP Dalandi Biado was enmeshed in corruption controversies, the PDP under former President Olusegun Obasanjo showed statesmanship and withdraw Biado’s candidacy for the Late Governor Danbaba Suntai, it’s totally shameful that with all the APC anti corruption propaganda, some one on corruption trial would controversially emerged his candidate in Taraba state.”