Politics-Nigeria - Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, said yesterday that former President Olusegun Obasanjo plotted to send him to jail by all means. Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State for eight years, alleged that Obasanjo vowed to jail him at all costs and instituted false and fictitious claims that he owned several foreign bank accounts.

According to Tinubu, the allegations which were forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) prompted the Commission's chairman, Malam Nuhu Ribadu to investigate him but could not find him guilty.

"Ribadu's investigation of my administration followed a fictitious allegation by the Obasanjo administration. Ribadu did not humiliate me. He investigated me over and over and did not find me wanting".

"Obasanjo wanted to send me to jail or exile because of my acceptance in the South-West and my transparency. So, if one is not corrupt, he has nothing to fear in Ribadu's government. He is a competent person that is ready to bring the needed change in the country".

"I was the most haunted person by the Obasanjo administration. They made claims but after the investigation carried out by Ribadu, they did not find anything dirty on me.

"Ribadu, who was not close to me because he was in the camp of Obasanjo, did not humiliate me. So, If you are corrupt, you are corrupt and you should not join politics.

I want all Nigerians to support Ribadu in his quest to become the next president for the betterment of our country" Tinubu declared while unveiling the party's manifesto and agenda in Abuja yesterday.

Tinubu added that some people were afraid of Ribadu's presidency because of their hidden corruption profile. He appealed to Nigerians not to be afraid. "Ribadu investigated me severally when he was the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but did not find me wanting.

"We are different in the ACN. The PDP always blackmails people and asks them to join their party. But it is now time for us to sweep them out of governance," Tinubu stated.

According to Tinubu, the Edo state governor, Lagos state governor, Ekiti state governor and that of Osun state have proved to Nigerians that if ACN was given a chance, the country would be a better place to live in.

Tinubu described Ribadu as a courageous and competent person who could champion the affairs of the country insisting that, "PDP government is not a government but a gathering of election riggers and power abusers. I want all our gubernatorial candidates to be strong and give out the message to the people that ACN was out to sweep hopelessness away from the country.

On his part, the ACN presidential candidate, Malam Ribadu, declared that the unveiling of the party's manifesto was a new foundation for Nigeria and stressed that they would not lose sight of what was happening in the developed world. "The 'failed ideas, policies' of the PDP will be a thing of the past. Our country is moving forward and ACN will unseat the PDP in the 2011 presidential election", Ribadu stated.

Ribadu argued that he was aware of the reasons why a lot of money had been spent on power generation without result, and conceded that, "Any one who said there will be electricity without fighting corruption is telling lies. The PDP government has failed. I slept last night without light and the house was very close to the villa.

"The PDP government doesn't keep promises even to themselves. ACN has shown it in the states we control what governance should be. If I emerge, I will stand by what the party said and will not resort to buying delegates and we will run our government through radicalism not through rascality.

"Not long ago, we left over N60 billion as foreign reserve but now the money has been shared without anything tangible thing to show for it.

"The most important priority of the ACN was to protect the life and properties of every Nigerian, and create jobs. Agriculture and housing would be taken as a priority to ensure that over 30 million jobs will been created every year.

"The Nigerian education system which has been in total crises would be a thing of the past. If ACN government emerge, milk and food would be given to all school children which will attract all the children begging in the street to go back to school. Health will also not be left behind. Travelling abroad for medical check up will be over because new hospitals will be built while several medical doctors will be employed," Ribadu declared.

Meanwhile, the four governors of the ACN said yesterday that they were not rascals but radicals who will soon make poverty in Nigeria a thing of the past.

The governors of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State and Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, said individually that they were not rascals but radicals who will soon take over the affairs of Nigeria.

According to Fashola, the days of PDP administration were numbered because of unfulfilled promises to Nigerians. The Lagos state governor who was speaking on the challenges of governance in Nigeria, said that the PDP government has no manifesto and has been deceiving Nigerians while few individuals have been carting away the resources.

"Since 1999 the federal government has not built a single bridge nor constructed a road in Lagos State. All the bridges and the roads are been built by radicals who will soon effect changes in the country", Fashola stated.

In his opening speech, the National Chairman of the ACN Chief Bisi Akande said that for the first time in the history of Nigeria, his party unveiled its plans to the people. Akande who was represented by his vice, Alhaji Boss Mustapha said that they will redirect the polity of Nigeria from the 'big men' and will make poverty a thing of the past.

Others in attendance include Chief Audu Ogbe, Baba Tella, former Jigawa state governor, Saminu Turaki, former Anambra state governor, Dr. Chris Ngige, Sen. James Kolawole, Chief Abiye Sekibo, Tom Ikimi, Alhaji Yusuf Ali and others.

Sunday Isuwa

Leadership/17/02/2011