The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to show his ‘zero tolerance’ for corruption by allowing for an open investigation into the N2.5 billion scandal, involving the aide de camp of his wife, Sani Baba-Inna, who is currently in SSS detention.
An online newspaper earlier reported how a scandal was brewing within the household of Mr Buhari.
His wife, Aisha, had caused the arrest of her own aide de camp, after accusing him of fraud, said those familiar with the matter.
The president’s wife alleges that the chief superintendent of police received huge donations from politicians and business people on her behalf and kept the cash to himself.
Mrs Buhari then requested the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to arrest and compel Mr Baba-Inna to refund the money, put at over N2.5 billion.
The police officer was initially arrested Friday by the police, who later cleared him after being unable to pin anything on him.
An unconvinced Mrs Buhari then asked the SSS to arrest him and carry out further investigations.
It is unclear how the president’s wife came about the allegation, but one source said another aide working for Mrs Buhari originated the claim.
An associate of the embattled police officer said Mr Baba-Inna strongly denied the allegation, saying he received no donation from anyone on behalf of his boss.
The opposition party in a statement signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, on Wednesday said that nothing is more scandalous than the fact that ”while President Buhari is in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York mouthing his war against corruption, a huge broth of corruption, in which his wife is mentioned, is simmering under his own roof.”
It said Mr Buhari, ”by now, must have learnt that Nigerians are not buying the lame denial by our first lady, who had rushed to town to disown her detained security aide, Sani Baba Inna, just because the lid is off the can of worms”.
The opposition party which came short of calling the president a hypocrite called on him to do the needful rather than sweep the matter under the carpet.
”This scandal has further vindicated the stand of the PDP that President Buhari presides over a government of corruption, where his close relatives, officials and a cabal of associates are enmeshed in sleazy deals but parading as saints. It is instructive to note that the first lady has already admitted that her detained security aide defrauded “unsuspecting associates and officials”, a position which inadvertently exposes the attempt by the police to conceal the matter.
