the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has warned the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, not to involve the PDP in the disagreement between himself and former Governor Babatunde Fashola.
The Chairman of the Lagos PDP, Tunji Shelle, said this during an interview with our correspondent on Thursday.
Tinubu had, on Wednesday, distanced himself from the recent attacks against Fashola, whom a publication on the website of the Lagos State Government said spent
N78.3m on a personal website and another N139m on the construction of two boreholes at the Lagos House, Ikeja.
The APC leader had also attributed the attacks against Fashola as the handiwork of the PDP.
However, the PDP boss told our correspondent that Tinubu was only trying to divert attention from himself.
He said, “Tinubu should not drag the PDP into the crisis engulfing the APC because we know nothing about it.”
Shelle said the allegations against Fashola did not emanate from the PDP but the website of the APC-led state government.
He said, “The information against Fashola was published on the state’s website. So, how does that concern the PDP? Now that they see us as a threat, they are saying all sorts of things against us.
“The Fashola case is an internal crisis. They don’t like Fashola again because probably they feel he is getting too close to the President and the President might give him an appointment that will make him very powerful in Lagos State.
“This is not a PDP issue. It is their internal crisis. Let Fashola go and clear himself of the allegations of N139m boreholes and N78.3m website. Let Fashola go and defend himself. My party is not involved.
“Fashola’s problem is due to an internal crisis caused by those he has offended in his party. We don’t have time for such.”
Also speaking with our correspondent, the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Taofik Gani, commended the state government for exposing Fashola.
Gani said the PDP had been aware of Fashola’s spending for many years and had written petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission but nothing was done.
The PDP spokesperson, however, stated that the recent allegations against Fashola must lead to a holistic probe and must not be swept under the carpet as it was done during the run-up to the 2011 election.
He said the state government must go beyond revealing Fashola’s spending by probing his administration and prosecute him accordingly.
He said, “It is good that the Lagos State Government is showing seeming boldness to expose former Governor Fashola but Lagosians demand more than this. Fashola should be prosecuted. It is only when the actual investigation and prosecution of Fashola are seen that Lagosians would take it seriously.
“It is our suspicion that what is happening is a mirage, a battle of wits between interest groups in the APC. So, we will not be overexcited because we feel that once the interest groups reconcile, the allegations will stop. We will, however, at this time, support all groups and individuals that call for the probe of the Fashola administration.”
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