PDP exonerates Atiku in Bank PHB’s collapse

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is honest and hard-working and has nothing to do with issues leading to the collapse of Bank PHB.

The PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO) said the allegations of Abubakar’s involvement in the collapse of the bank were fabricated to frame the candidate.

PPCO Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said this at a news conference on Friday in Abuja that the candidate was already emerging victorious in the Feb. 16 Presidential election.

“The PPCO makes bold to state that Atiku has nothing to do with the alleged issues leading to the collapse of Bank PHB.

“Atiku is an honest and hard-working Nigerian who has no skeleton of any sort in his cupboard.

“The world already knows that this is an attempt to mudsling our presidential candidate,” he said.

Ologbondiyan said that Nigerians could “see through those lies, fabrications and frustration and the scheme against Atiku, which he said were already dead on arrival’’.

“The PDP presidential candidate, our great party and indeed all Nigerians, who have already reached a national consensus to vote-in Atiku will not be distracted by this unfounded allegation,” he said.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had alleged that that PDP’s candidate had questions to answer over slush funds that led to the collapse of former Bank PHB.

He told State House correspondents on Friday in Abuja that Abubakar would offer explanations to Nigerians once he returned from his trip to the US.

“In any event, any time Abubakar returns home, he has questions to answer following the fresh evidence that we have that he benefitted from slush funds that led to the collapse of the former Bank PHB.

“The documents we have indicate that he benefitted to the tune of N156 million from that slush fund.”

Mohammed said that the paper which is in his possession started from an internal memo on Jan. 13, 2009, which reads, “please refer for discussion your requested overdraft in favour of Atiku Abubakar for N156 million and deliver same to me’’.

“Please note that it must be delivered today (Jan. 13). On the same date, another memo was generated to confirm—please confirm that the amount stated below be issued from Claremont Management Services account.”

He said there was clear evidence of the account mandate in the name of Atiku Abubakar.

“We also have a copy of the Cheque in which the sum of N156 million was issued to Atiku Abubakar dated Jan. 13, 2009 and of course we also have statement of account within that period that confirms that this sum was actually paid into his account,’’ he said.

According to him, there is fresh evidence as to Abubakar’s involvement in the collapse of Bank PHB, which he owes the electorate and Nigerians explanation

Abubakar recently alleged President Muhammadu Buhari’s family members co-own Etisalat Nigeria, Keystone Bank which was formerly Bank PHB.