APC, PDP trade words over ‘sleaze’ in NDDC
Two leading parties in the nation’s political landscape – the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – are at daggers-drawn over alleged massive infractions in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Pundits say the two parties are playing politics with the operations of the NDDC and throwing tantrums at […]
Two leading parties in the nation’s political landscape – the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – are at daggers-drawn over alleged massive infractions in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Pundits say the two parties are playing politics with the operations of the NDDC and throwing tantrums at each other to achieve cheap political points ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Since the APC clinched presidential power on May 29, 2015, the party has consistently bashed the administration of the PDP which held sway for 16 years at the centre, accusing it of massive corruption and mismanagement of the nation’s resources.
This led to arrest, detention and trial of many PDP leaders. Some chieftains of the party are still being tried in court.
But the PDP is also fighting back; it is accusing the APC-led government of humongous corruption, incompetence and creating more problems for Nigerians.
PDP’s criticism of the Buhari administration got a boost when the ousted acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Joy Nunieh, recently accused Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godswill Akpabio of orchestrating her removal from office.
She alleged on the sidelines of the Senate investigative hearing probing NDDC’s alleged misappropriation of N40 billion that Akpabio engineered her removal from office for failing to dance to his tunes regarding financial spending of the commission.
Since then, tongues have been wagging with the APC and the PDP exchanging in verbal assault.
PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, asked Buhari to suspend Akpabio to enable him to face probe without altering any official documents.
The party, in the statement, further enumerated other forms of financial and administrative corruption allegedly characterising the APC-led government.
But APC in another statement issued by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, said PDP was “dead-scared” of the outcome of the 2001 to 2019 forensic audit and legislative inquests of the NDDC operations.
Buhari has since ordered a forensic audit of NDDC operations which would cover part of the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo who was in power from 1999 to 2007 on PDP’s platform.
Obasanjo established the commission in 2000.
It will also cover the operations of the NDDC during the reign of late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua (2007-2010) and President Goodluck Jonathan (2010-2015) who all hit their political pinnacle on the platform of the PDP.
Analysts say many heads would roll when the report of the audit is submitted to President Buhari as many PDP and APC stalwarts are likely to be indicted.
Akpabio had on Monday alleged, during his appearance before the House of Representatives for interrogation, that members of the National Assembly were the greatest beneficiaries of the NDDC contracts.
But the House of Representatives has given him a 48-hour ultimatum to publish the names of members of the 9th National Assembly who got contracts from the commission.
However, it is left to be seen whether politicians across party lines would be indicted and prosecuted if Akpabio publishes the list.