The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to address the corruption allegations levelled against its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The APC had, in a statement issued by the party’s Presidential Campaign Council on Monday, said Atiku should withdraw from the 2023 presidential race for allegedly embezzling public funds through the “Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs)”.

The APC campaign council said Atiku, a former Vice President, colluded with his ex-principal, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to fleece the country and steal public funds using the SPVs.

Reacting via a statement issued on Monday by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the main opposition party stated that the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, is not eligible to contest for the presidency, adding that the former Lagos State Governor has a litany of confirmed legal impediments on issues, including those on international crime.

The PDP stated that Tinubu is not qualified to vie for the number one seat after he has been “convicted, sentenced, and fined for narcotic trafficking in a criminal suit filed pursuant to the United States Criminal Code.”

The main opposition also noted that Atiku has never been found culpable in any of the allegations preferred against him despite being one most investigated public officials in the country.

However, the ruling party, in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director, Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, said the PDP, rather than address the allegations of “criminal money-laundering and reckless abuse of public trust” levelled against Atiku by one of his former aides, Michael Achimugu, defended the former Vice President by “embarking on a puerile diversionary journey by drumming up a stale allegation” against his rival.

READ ALSO: PDP to APC: Tinubu, not Atiku should withdraw from presidential race

The party added: “The issues the Nigerian people want the PDP and his candidate to address are simple.

“They are: Was the whistleblower, Michael Achimugu, who swore to an oath, employed by Atiku?

“Did Atiku make a scandalous confession in a telephone conversation on how he and his former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo set up SPVs, such as Marine Float, to steal public money? Was the taped voice not Atiku’s?

“It is obvious that the PDP presidential candidate has no defence to these allegations, which he admitted in his viral confession.

“This was the reason we boldly made the call on him to beat the path of honour, for once, by withdrawing from the presidential race. We also urged the authorities to hold him to account.

“But the hangers-on and dependants who saw his withdrawal as an end to the campaign bazaar in desperation resorted to painting the kettle black to look like their pot.

“This resort to counter-mudslinging is not only an admission of criminal guilt, it is an irresponsible way to cover up the concrete evidence of conspiracy and corruption.

“How can PDP pretend that Atiku is innocent of the allegations when even General Olusegun Obasanjo, his boss and collaborator had documented Atiku’s legendary corruption in his book and had sworn never to support Atiku’s presidential ambition to avoid the wrath of God.

“The cocktail of lies and tales by the PDP against the APC presidential candidate did not disclose any witness to their dredged allegations,” the APC stated.

The ruling party said the PDP should “come clean on these allegations and stop dancing around the real issues” if it has “any concern for the Nigerian youths and a future without corruption”.

The Star