Frank Alleges Fresh Plan to Arrest Obasanjo, Saraki, Atiku, Others

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has raised fresh allegations over alleged plot to arrest former President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senate President Bukola Saraki, among others.

Frank, who raised the concern in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, accused the current administration of penciling down Obasanjo, Atiku, Saraki and others for arrest and detention ahead of the 2019 general election in the name of fighting corruption.

Frank also hinged his fears on a statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari that he would jail some Nigerians now that he is back from 10-day leave.

President Buhari had reportedly told journalists in an interview after his arrival in Abuja last Saturday that he would jail more of the ‘thieves’ that brought economic problems to the country.

Frank said even before the president made it public, sources had informed some opposition leaders how the presidency was planning to arrest its perceived political enemies.

He considered the president’s statement as a threat to Nigerians, calling on the president to look inward within his administration if he is looking for looters to jail.

According to Frank, President Buhari has returned to continue persecution of his political opponents and selective fight against corruption.

“I want to tell you Mr. President that you are presiding over the worst and most corrupt administration ever. If you really want to fight corruption, why not start from your kitchen cabinet and the leadership of APC?

“Nigerians and international community are fully aware that all you have been doing is not fighting corruption but fighting your perceived political enemies,” he said.

Frank said Nigeria is currently in a democratic system of government, which requires that a competent court must finds someone guilty of any allegation before he or she can be sent to prison.

While urging the president to fully imbibe democratic culture, he said if the president carefully searches his government with an open mind, “he will realise that he is surrounded by thieves.’’

Frank said the President Buhari, who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum, had not made known to Nigerians the budget of his Ministry, let alone how much the country had generated from the sales of oil daily since his assumption of office three years ago.

He also reminded the president that Nigerians had not forgotten the $43million that was found in Ikoyi house, challenging him to make public the report of a panel of enquiry set up in the same direction.