PDP Will Chase Out APC In 2019 — Babatope

Chief Ebenezer Babatope, the ex-minister of transport and aviation, has noted that any attempt to probe the former president Goodluck Jonathan would be an exercise in futility. According to him, 

Jonathan has not done anything wrong to be probed and prosecuted. Speaking in a telephone interview with The Punch on Monday, February 15, Babatope said: “Any probe of ex-president Jonathan will be an exercise in futility because he has done nothing wrong to warrant any probe. “When Papa Obafemi Awolowo was alive, he described probe as an exercise in futility.” 

Although Awolowo was speaking in view of the prevailing impunity of the time, the former minister stressed that “the words of the sage remain relevant to our present day realities”.  Babatope expressed his opinion following a call by the Christian Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, to probe and prosecute the former president. Speaking at an interdenominational service, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, the chairman of the association, said that nobody should be spared in the ongoing war against corruption. “What is wrong with it?

 A former president of Peru (Alberto Fujimori) was jailed. Also, a popular Prime Minister of Israel (Ehud Olmert) was jailed. If a nation puts you in a position of trust and you betray that trust, you should go to jail no matter who you are. I have no sympathy for anybody. Just make sure you get it right,” he said. Calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to go after looters, Bamgbola said: “Put them where they belong, so that we may have peace in this nation.”

 However, Babatope, who is also the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, said that the anti-corruption crusade looked like political vendetta.  

“What are they probing; security votes under Jonathan? During Buhari’s first time in power as a military ruler, he cast many governors into jail on account of misappropriation of security votes. 

“This is what we are witnessing again. We have people who have gone to court to challenge their trials. Let’s wait and see. The PDP will support the anti-corruption war but we won’t accept an anti-corruption war tinged with vendetta,” he stressed. Speaking about the elections in 2019, 

Babatope expressed assurance that soon Nigerians would see the difference between the two parties and the PDP will chase out the APC. “I am in Abuja for the election of our national chairman. We are electing our chairman from the North-East. 

Our party is putting everything together; we will come back stronger and better. Our members should not give up hope. 

We are chasing out the APC in 2019,” he said. Meanwhile, Paul Unongo, the deputy national leader of the Northern Elders Forum, urged the federal government to probe Jonathan over $2.1bn arms deal scandal. According to him, the ex-president should be jailed if found to have enriched himself in the $2.1bn arms deal and refuses to refund his share of the stolen funds.

Source: Naij.com