The Deputy Director General, Admin, of Atiku Campaign Organization, Tanimu Turaki SAN, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said this Monday night.
The arrest is coming as the EFCC said it arrested the finance director of Atiku’s group of companie and his son-in-law, Babalele Abdullahi, for alleged money laundering.
Turaki’s arrest brings to three the number of Atiku’s staff that have been picked in days by the financial crime body.
Recall that Atiku’s lawyer, Uyi Giwa Osagie is in EFCC custody.
In a statement issued by the PDP spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan, the party warned that Turaki should be release immediately and unconditionally.
It said the arrest and detention of the campaign deputy D-G was part of the grand plot by the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress, APC, to use state apparatus of power to intimidate PDP leaders and scuttle PDP’s determination to reclaim our February 23, 2019 Presidential election victory in court.
The statement read: “Since the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the PDP expressed our unwavering determination to reclaim our victory at the tribunal, being armed with overwhelming evidence, our leaders have been subjected to escalated harassments, constant threats, blackmails, cajoling and contrivances by the APC to drop our legal option.
“It is instructive to state that Tanimu Turaki was arrested and detained upon invitation by the EFCC to endorse a bail document for the Finance Director of Atiku Abubakar’s company, Babalele Abdullahi, who was arrested earlier by the commission over flimsy allegations.
“The PDP, however, states in clear terms that the APC and the Buhari Presidency are fighting a lost battle as no amount of harassment and threats will ever make the party to buckle in its determination to take back the mandate, in line with the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.
Meanwhile, Babalele Abdullahi, son-in-law to the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has been released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. He was released along with Atiku’s finance director whom the commission arrested on Saturday.
Reports have it that Abdullahi was released after the anti-graft agency invited Tanimu Turaki, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) leading the defense team of Atiku to sign a bail document for him.
Recall that the Commission arrested Babalele, over an alleged €150 million money laundering. Atiku’s son-in-law was arrested on the ground that he could use hard currency to unduly influence the outcome of many polls taking place in the country.