Atiku, Tinubu Exchange Words On Source Of Wealth

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has said that the source of wealth of his counterpart in the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, is questionable challenging him to disclose how he is so wealthy today.

Speaking on Sunday via a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Atiku accused Tinubu of contradicting himself about his source of wealth.

Recall Tinubu while speaking on BBC Focus on Africa, on Tuesday, said he “inherited” real estate which contributed to his wealth.

“I am not denying my wealth. I was the most investigated, the most accused governor in opposition for eight years up to 2007.

“Since I left office, I am still there, I have not taken a government appointment, no government contract,” he had said.

Making a direct reference to US billionaire, Warren Buffet, he said, “Are they enemies of wealth, if they are not enemies of wealth–investments do yield.

“I have an example of Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in America and the world. He started with stock buying and brokerage. I inherited great real estate, I turned the values around.

“I am not denying my wealth. I was the most investigated, the most accused governor in opposition for eight years up to 2007. Since I left office, I am still there, I have not taken a government appointment, no government contract,” he had added.

But Atiku picked holes in Tinubu’s explanation of his wealth, and said it is “complete hogwash,” to say he inherited real estate when he “had told a Lagos State House of Assembly committee that was set up to investigate his academic records in 1999 that he could not complete secondary school because his family was too poor.”

He reminisced that, “The Governor spoke about his difficult and traumatic youth and how he scaled the hurdles of life as a self-made man. After his primary education, the governor said he was admitted into secondary school but he could not further his education because of his poverty.

“The Governor thus had to engage in menial jobs before he proceeded to the United States of America in search of the Golden Fleece,” the House report read in part.

“So how did Tinubu, whose family was too poor to send him to school despite a free education policy at the time, inherit properties from the same family?

“This is obviously balderdash. Tinubu would do well to stop comparing himself with Warren Buffet whose source of wealth has never been linked to narcotics by US authorities.”

Atiku explained that, “US authorities said Tinubu revealed in bank documents that he worked with Mobil Nigeria Limited in 1989 and his salary was just $2,400 and he had no other sources of income.

“But records from his First Heritage Bank account showed that in 1990 (just within one year), Tinubu deposited $661,000 into his individual money market account and in 1991 deposited $1,216,500 into the same money market account. Where did he get the money from?”

He challenged Tinubu to come clean boasting that, “On the other hand, Atiku Abubakar’s source of wealth has never been in doubt. The ones he has listed publicly include: NICOTES (now Intels) founded in 1989; Prodeco, 1996; Atiku farms, 1982; and ABTI schools, 1992.

“Some of these companies like INTELS have had reputable Nigerians like the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and even traditional rulers on its board. We dare Tinubu to list his companies and source of wealth as Atiku has done.”

But a statement issued on his behalf by Bayo Onanuga, his Director of Media & Publicity warned Nigerians against believing Atiku as he is wont to promise, describing him as a desperate politician.

While pointing out Atiku’s promises , Tinubu said the former Vice President was “embellishing the locust years as if it was a golden era in our history.”

According to him, “We need to warn Nigerians to be wary of the sugar-coated promises of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as they embark on their inordinate and desperate campaign to gain power at all cost.

“A party that should be eternally shameful about its appalling record in governance between 1999 and 2015 is now busy rewriting history, embellishing the locust years as if it was a golden era in our history.

“Of course, this is fake history at its worse. We are not fooled. Nigerians should also not be fooled about the boldfaced lies, being articulated by the candidate and his party,” Tinubu said.

He stressed that Atiku “claimed at his rally in Abuja on Saturday that the country is not secure for trading and farming, a false narrative that he has been pushing around for some time, since he relocated to Nigeria from his base in Dubai, principally to contest the election.

“We believe in his private moment that Atiku will concede that his view about insecurity is exaggerated. Our country is certainly better secure than in 2015 when the PDP allowed insurgents to seize 17 local councils in Borno and some four councils in Atiku’s home state of Adamawa State, when Abuja was under constant bomb attacks and people slept with eyes wide open.

“What further proof of progress made by the APC does Atiku need than the fact that he was able, recently, to carry his party men and women to Maiduguri to hold a rally, without any attacks by insurgents and bandits.

“Atiku can also drive smoothly from Yola, his state capital to Jada, his home town on a reconstructed road by the Buhari-led APC administration.

“The road was impassable for 8 years Atiku was Vice President and got progressively bad and totally cut off from civilisation until the Buhari government reconstructed it,” the APC candidate said.