Atiku confirms arrest of campaign’s finance director by EFCC, vows to ‘fight on’

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, has confirmed arrest of his campaign finance director Alhaji Babalele Abdullahi.

This is even as the former Nigeria’s Vice President assured Nigerians that he would not mortgage their mandate as freely expressed in the election.

A statement signed by his media adviser, Paul Ibe Saturday reads: “The assurance comes against the backdrop of the invasion and arrest of son in-law and finance director of his group of companies in Abuja on Saturday, 2 March, 2019 

“In a desperate move to have Atiku Abubakar concede and congratulate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at about 8.30am today (Saturday) invaded the Maitama residence of Babalele. 

“The EFCC agents numbering about two dozen came in 2 regular vehicles, an 18-seater Toyota bus (registration Abuja CS 522 RSH) and a hilux van. 

“They came with a search warrant to search the house and office of Babalele and found nothing incriminating.

“They then proceeded to his office at Oakland Centre in Maitama and found nothing incriminating there. 

“However, they took away some documents of landed property.  Not done, the EFCC officials stormed his Wuse residence where they again found nothing incriminating after the search.

“Afterwards, Babalele was taken away to the EFCC office in Wuse to make a statement alongside Mr. Lawan Ayuba. 

“It was gathered that the petition relied upon to invade the residence and office of Babalele was authored by a brother of the wife of President Buhari.

“As a law abiding citizen, Atiku Abubakar recognizes the constitutional role of the EFCC and indeed any other agency of the government to carry out investigations, but will not be cowed by any attempt to blackmail him into mortgaging his mandate”.

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