Panic Grips PDP Chieftains Over Buhari's Extradition Plan

  

Prominent leaders and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been hit by anxiety following reports that some chieftains of the opposition party may be extradited home to come and face trial for alleged corruption according to Today News.

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to join about 59 other world leaders in London later this month to sign an agreement to check stealing of public funds by government officials.

Sources say he will use the opportunity to seek the extradition of some ex-government officials and PDP chieftains who are currently residing abroad to come and answer questions about their role in the Jonathan administration.

Such include the immediate past Comptroller-General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko; ex-Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro; ex-Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke; and former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu. Others are Diezani’s son, Ugonna; a former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force, Abdulrasheed Maina; ex-Senior Political Adviser to ex-President and Coordinator of Goodluck Support Group, Prof. Rufai Alkali and immediate past
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, who is being allegedly investigated over $1.1bn Malabu Oil deal.

A well placed source at the PDP National Secretariat, Abuja, said that party chieftains have been making endless phone calls to the secretariat for information about the reported extradition plan of the presidency.

“Although, nothing official has been said about the report, I can assure you that the leadership and chieftains of the PDP are aware of the development,” the source said.

“On Friday, following the emergence of the report on the social media, several calls were made by prominent members and leaders of the party from all over the country to ask if the report is true and if the party was aware.

“Discussion of the matter dominated our activities here on Friday. Many wanted to know how the party plans to respond to the move. But like I said, nothing official has been said about it because the report broke late on Friday and we are yet to discuss it.”

It was also learnt that a meeting of prominent PDP chieftains may come up in Abuja tomorrow to discuss the report and how the party should react to it. Party leaders, chieftains and serving political office holders are expected to attend the parley which sources claimed was mooted last Friday.

“I guess from discussions here on Friday that something like a stakeholders meeting may take place on Monday or thereabout to discuss the report. Many chieftains are worried by what they fear may be a renewed attempt to hunt down the opposition by the federal government.

“Some of the people you and I know may be affected by an extradition agreement of the magnitude we read about are leading lights of the opposition. One can only wonder why such a move is necessary when the alleged corruption charges are already in various courts here in Nigeria,” another source, a party official from the South-south, said.

It was also gathered that most of the PDP chieftains currently worrying their heads over the report are scared about the possible fall outs from the responses of the fleeing individuals when they are eventually questioned.

“The anxiety within PDP is not just concerns over the well being of the affected persons, it goes beyond that. At a time when the party is trying to pick the pieces of its unceremonious exit from Aso Rock and move on in preparation for 2019, it is unhealthy for more details of our shoddy past to be exposed. And that is what will happen should the extradition happen.

“Some of us continue to appeal to concerned persons who participated in the looting of the past to come forward willingly and negotiate with the authorities. That way, the scandalous effect on our party will be minimized.

“But I don’t want to image the effect of what those expected to be extradited will say on PDP. Many more chieftains will be dragged into the net by the time these people open their mouth. And the sensationalism will further hurt our party,” a female PDP chieftain from Lagos State said.