A foundation member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Osita Okechukwu, on Sunday said the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has forgotten lesson 101.
Okechukwu was reacting to the petition submitted by Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, requesting the reopening of allegations against Atiku or a clarification on why the matter was previously closed.
In a statement he issued, the former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, VON, said from all indications, it appears that “Atiku may have forgotten the age-old lesson many of us were taught in elementary school; that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.”
Okechukwu maintained that if Atiku had reflected on this enduring principle, he might have exercised greater caution in his bid to throw in all manner of kitchen sink political missiles against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including the expensive bill of USA Lobbyist, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.L.C, reportedly deployed in the hunt.
He noted that the current situation demonstrates how “past issues can resurface unexpectedly and most importantly that crime is not statute-barred; noting the classic maxim, ‘he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.”
Recalling that the Lagos High Court had previously dismissed the matter, Okechukwu said “as a roadside lawyer, my understanding is that the Agbonayinma’s high profile money laundering petition with international outliers has revived two decades old frozen case, which regardless of its outcome, has placed not only His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, albeit the EFCC and our dear country on the front burner with unintended image gridlock.”
The APC chieftain also dismissed claims that he was attacking Atiku in defense of President Tinubu.
“Far from it, I am not protecting Mr President, am only urging my political colleagues to always avoid grandstanding and focus more on issues of how to lift millions out of poverty and obedience to the rule of law, rather than witch-hunt,” he added.