The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari and his son-in-law, Junaid Abdullahi, of engaging in corruption, economic sabotage and unethical conduct by using funds creamed off fake contract awards to fund the president’s re-election campaign to the tune of about 18 billion Naira.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the All Progressives Congress, APC -controlled Federal Government has been using the Border Communities Development Agency, BDCA, headed by Buhari’s son-in-law, Abdullahi for hundreds of phony lawmakers’ constituency projects, using non-existent firms to fund Buhari’s electioneering campaign.
The statement is a reaction to an investigative report published by a reputable online platform, “Premium Times”, detailing massive fraud in the border agency.
The BDCA has the mandate to provide social and infrastructural amenities to international border communities in 21 states of the federation, spanning over 105 local government areas.
Buttressing the authenticity of the report, Atiku said no fewer than 815 contractors were recently shortlisted by the BDCA for hundreds of constituency projects ranging from 10 million Naira to 200 million worth of contracts despite failing to meet federal contracting requirements.
He said in apparent move to amass funds for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid, the BDCA procurement officials have continuously disregarded some key criteria for selection of prospective contractors, as well as some requirements for the award of contracts, in a potential violation of the Public Procurement Act, PPA 2007.
Atiku said President Buhari’s anti-corruption posturing is further undermined if officials at the BDCA are allowed to go ahead with the flawed contracting process in brazen defiance of the country’s extant procurement regulations.
While challenging Buhari and his son-in-law to deny these claims, Atiku called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices & other Related Offenses Commission, to thoroughly investigate this act of corruption and economic sabotage, for its corrosive effects on the economy as well as the 2019 general elections.