EFCC: Kwara PDP denies petition against Saraki’s wife

*Count us out –Party Chair

*North-Central APC kicks as ex-first lady storms anti-graft office, tomorrow

Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last night denied petitioning the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), which has reportedly prompted invitation of the Senate President's Wife, Barrister Toyin Saraki for questioning by the anti-graft agency.

Report credited to the State Publicity Secretary, Chief Rex Olawoye went viral on Sunday, where he purportedly said PDP's petition led to Saraki's wife invitation.

This is coming as the former Kwara First lady is set to storm EFCC's office in Abuja on Tuesday to honour the agency's invitation.

Saraki, who had been invited to clarify issues had expressed her readiness to honour the agency, maintaining that she remains a law-abiding, transparent and accountable private citizen.

A statement credited to Kwara PDP, among others, also exonerated a National Leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu from having any connection in the matter.

But in a swift reaction, the Kwara chapter of the party dissociated itself from the online reports, saying the party knows nothing about it.

Speaking exclusively with the chairman of the party in the state, Iyiola Oyedepo, over the matter last night, the party chair dissociated the Kwara PDP from the publication completely, adding that they should be counted out from the publication.

“We don't know anything about the statement. What concerns us with the case of EFCC against Mrs Saraki...?”, he added.

He also exonerated the party's Publicity Secretary, Chief Olawoye of having any hand in the matter.

“Chief Rex did not know anything about it either”, Oyedepo further submitted.

Reacting to the issue, Olawoye described the report as untrue, adding that all his press releases had always been on hard copy rather than soft copies or online medium.

Olawoye noted that he is old enough to be an elder statesman in the state and will not report anything that he lacks documents to support.

“I don't have any hand in it and I did not ask anybody to release any press release to that regard. Any press statements I release have always been in hard copy and I will distribute it to the press accordingly through mostly the News Agency of Nigeria. So anything you find in the electronic media is not from me.

“It could have emanated from one spineless person somewhere, who doesn't have the effrontery to stand by his/her action.

“Nobody in the party can go ahead and make any press release without my involvement. I want to assure you that our party has no hand in it and I want to completely dissociate myself from it also.

“This is politics and it is possible that there are some people who could be writing such story and putting my name for whatever motive. But whoever that person is must be a bastard.

“I will not write anything that I don't have document to support. I am old enough to be a statesman and if I want to criticise the government, I will do it and stand on my foot with document to defend myself.

“Anything you do not find from me but picked from the electronics like email or website, just disregard it and disconnect it from me, I am not involved”, he added.

It would be recalled that a member of the Board of Trustees of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and a former Senator, Joseph Waku had accused Tinubu of using his closeness to the EFCC boss, Ibrahim Lamorde, to hound Saraki's wife over the National Assembly crisis.

Meanwhile, Senate President’s wife, Mrs Oluwatoyin Saraki is set to storm the Abuja headquarters of the EFCC tomorrow (Tuesday).

In a statement signed by her media office on Wednesday, Mrs Saraki, while maintaining her integrity, expressed her willingness and resolve to honour the invitation by the anti-graft commission.

However, the National leadership of the PDP has reportedly stepped up pressure for the State chapter of the party to withdraw the statement indicting Saraki, it was learnt last night.

An online news website, Eagleonline reported that the national officers on Sunday evening mounted pressure on the Kwara State chapter to withdraw the statement confirming it originated the petition.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Barrister Olisa Metuh, was said to be the arrowhead of the national officers seeking for the withdrawal of the statement.

It was learnt that the national headquarters of the PDP is backing its demand with the working relationship between the PDP and Saraki's party, the All Progressives Congress, which led to the emergence of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy President of the Senate.

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