ACN, ARP ask Tukur to resign over subsidy scam

 

By Benjamin onaghinor

Action Congress of Nigeria has called on the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to resign, following the alleged involvement of his son in the fuel subsidy scam. The ACN described the subsidy scam as the biggest corruption case in Nigeria’s history. Meanwhile, the African Renaissance Party also called on the PDP chairman to resign.

The ARP said, “Is it a coincidence that the stars in the court trial of the subsidy scam include the sons of the past and present chairmen of the PDP? Will it be wrong to say the sons of Ahmadu Ali and Tukur benefitted from the subsidy largesse because of their father’s positions in the ruling party?”

In a statement in Lagos on Sunday 29^th July 2012 by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Tukur’s resignation “would also ensure that the trial of suspects in the scam – including his son – would go unimpeded and save the country’s anti-corruption battle”.

The ACN said it subscribed to the constitutional provision that deems an accused person innocent until proven guilty, hence its intervention is not about the guilt or otherwise of the accused in the case.

It said, “It is important to say here that the fuel subsidy scam trial will be held in two courts: the court of law and the court of public opinion. While Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is not facing any charges in the court of law over the scam, he is definitely a star suspect in the court of public opinion.

“That is why many Nigerians are already insinuating that nothing will come out of the trial, especially as far as his son is concerned. This is an allusion to the influence bestowed upon him by his high office.

“While we have nothing but absolute confidence in the ability of the judicial process to ensure justice, we believe that anything that can reinforce the impression of thwarted justice in the fuel subsidy scam trial should be removed. Alhaji Bamagar Tukur’s continued stay in office is one of such.

“We also believe that since Tukur, as the PDP chairman, has a say in who becomes the chair of the boards of the key agencies in the oil sector that are linked to fuel subsidy (NNPC, PPPRA and PEF), his continued stay in office is inimical to efforts to clean up the tainted sector.’’