President Muhammadu Buhari’s supporters, under the auspices of Buhari Media Organisation (BMO), have mocked the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Iyorchia Ayu, for returning N405m loot as a plea bargain, describing him as someone who contributed in undermining military efforts against terrorists and criminal elements.

The BMO said Ayu quietly returned public funds he received from the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, only after the anti-graft agency sealed his property.

The BMO, in a statement co-signed by its Chairman and Secretary Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, said returning the loot confirmed their position that Ayu was a major beneficiary of the PDP-era massive looting of the national treasury.

“Our attention has just been drawn to the surreptitious return of stolen funds amounting to N405m by no other than the leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu.

“The funds were said to have been returned a few months ago after authorities seized a mansion belonging to the former Senate President, but as soon as he paid up, the property was said to have been returned to him,” the group stated.

The BMO said had President Buhari not won election in 2015, the looter would have gone unpunished.

It added: “If President Muhammadu Buhari had not been elected President in 2015, no one would have known and the former Minister would have practically escaped with his loot unpunished.

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“This is the PDP legacy so it is not a surprise that a man caught with stolen funds is today at the helm of affairs of that party.”

BMO further argued that such looting and its returning should have disqualified Ayu from leading a party.

“In saner climes, he would have been removed from office, but knowing the gathering that PDP is, Ayu earned his stripes because only a politician that is adept at illegally feeding on public funds could lead such a group with the notoriety the former ruling party has.”

“So it beggars belief to hear the PDP chairman and his colleagues pontificating about security challenges that they laid the foundation for in the manner they looted funds meant to boost the operational readiness of our security personnel,” the group noted.

It added that Ayu’s antecedent as a beneficiary of looted public funds is enough qualification for him to lead the PDP.

“We maintain that the main opposition party is currently headed by an individual who crookedly benefited from funds meant for arms procurement.

“We make bold to say that this is what the former ruling party stood for and which its members have missed in the last seven years that President Muhammadu Buhari had been in the saddle.”

BMO, therefore, urged Nigerians to be wary when people like Ayu speaks on security challenges in some parts of the country, knowing that he is one of those whose activities denied the military of necessary infrastructure support against terrorists and criminal elements.

The Star