The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described Umar Ganduje, the governor of Kano State, as a barefaced treasury looter.
The PDP made the remarks while pushing back the claim by Ganduje that it was out to loot the treasury of Edo State thereby making Godwin Obaseki, the state governor, as its gubernatorial candidate.
Ganduje levelled the allegation after being inaugurated as the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Campaign Council for the Edo governorship election slated for September 19.
“The PDP decided to accommodate our former governor in Edo State not because they have anything in common, not because they share some feelings, but simply because he his managing the treasury of Edo State and they want him to use that treasury in order to win the election,” he alleged.
But in a Monday statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said having been caught on camera receiving kickbacks of foreign notes from state contractors, the Kano governor lacked the moral right to speak on corruption.
The PDP which described the governor as a butt of national shame said it is a paradox that an individual who has earned himself the disgraceful public sobriquet of “gandollar”, after being caught collecting gratification, would attempt to accuse others of having intention of looting the treasury of a state.
“PDP points out that it is only in a party like the APC, under a Buhari Presidency, that such a tarnished individual can be selected to speak in public, let alone lead a governorship election campaign,” the statement of the opposition party partly read.
“Apparently, Governor Ganduje and other APC leaders are so used to looting public treasuries that such is his first mental direction after his inauguration to lead the Edo governorship campaign.
“Governor Ganduje has further confirmed the real intention of the APC, which is to use their morally embattled candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu (of course, birds of the same feathers flock together) for their desperate effort to regain access to Edo state treasury, after Governor Godwin Obaseki liberated the state from the stranglehold of APC treasury-looting godfathers.
“Our party invites Governor Ganduje to note that there is no free dollars for him and other APC leaders to loot in Edo state. Under the PDP, the resources of Edo state, and indeed other PDP states, belong to the people and not to any political cabal and their godfathers.
“Of course, this is why the people of Edo state are solidly behind Governor Obaseki for firmly resisting APC looters.”
The party also lampooned Ganduje which said Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, who has been appointed to lead the national campaign council of the PDP for the Edo guber poll, will be isolated until after the exercise.
“Moreover, Governor Ganduje, with his infamous “gandollar” video, is no match to the Chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council for the Edo election, Governor Nyesom Wike.
“Whereas Governor Wike is a highly respected, upright, honest, transparent, people-based and development-driven leader, who is firmly in touch with the people of Edo state and enjoys their confidence and trust, Governor Ganduje, on the other hand, represent a leadership that is fraught with dishonesty, corruption, non-performance and public shame.
“The PDP therefore counsels Governor Ganduje and the APC to quietly perish the thoughts of looting Edo state treasury like they are doing in APC controlled states, as the people of Edo state will humiliate them in the September 19 election,” it added.
