The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released Babalele Abdullahi, son in-law to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just-concluded presidential election, Atiku Abubakar.
Babalele was arrested last Saturday by operatives of the anti-graft agency after a search conducted at both his office and home in Abuja.
The arrest was believed to be part of efforts at dissuading Atiku from pursuing legal action against the alleged rigging of the presidential election by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that saw him lost to the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday said the Deputy Director-General (Administration) of its Presidential Campaign Organization, Mr. Tanimu Turaki (SAN), has been arrested by the EFCC.
It demanded his immediate and unconditional release as it claimed that he was arrested for no just cause.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement said Turaki’s arrest and detention are part of the alleged grand plot by the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress to use state apparatus of power to intimidate PDP leaders and scuttle PDP’s determination to reclaim its acclaimed February 23 presidential election victory in court.
He said, “Since the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the PDP, expressed our unwavering determination to reclaim our victory at the tribunal, being armed with overwhelming evidence, our leaders have been subjected to escalated harassments, constant threats, blackmails, cajoling and contrivances by the APC to drop our legal option.
“It is instructive to state that Turaki was arrested and detained upon invitation by the EFCC to endorse a bail document for the Finance Director of Atiku Abubakar’s company, Babalele Abdullahi, who was arrested earlier by the commission over flimsy allegations.”
According to him, the APC and the Buhari presidency are fighting a lost battle.
He said no amount of harassment and threats will ever make the party buckle in its determination to take back its acclaimed mandate, in line with the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.
He stated that Nigerians are resolute on the struggle to reclaim the mandate, he claimed, was freely given to Atiku at the polls.
He added that the PDP will pursue this decision to its logical end and secure justice for Nigerians
