Be like Yar’Adua, declare your assets now, PDP urges Tinubu

The People’s Democratic Party has urged President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima to emulate the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua by publicly declaring their assets, demonstrating their commitment by leading by example. In a statement delivered by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, on Sunday.

He emphasized that it is not enough for the President and the VP to fill asset declaration forms and return same to the Code of Conduct Bureau, just to fulfill the requirements of the law.

While the PDP is currently challenging the declaration of Tinubu as winner of the February 25 presidential poll, Ologunagba called upon both individuals to showcase to the world that indeed they are different, by following the path of Yar’ Adua’s footstep and openly declaring their financial and material possession to the Nigerian public.

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He said, “They should follow the path of the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua to demonstrate to Nigerians their readiness for transparent and accountable leadership. There are provisions in our laws covering asset declarations by public officers; it is a statutory requirement. Recall that Umaru Yar’Adua, a president elected on the platform of the PDP, declared his assets publicly. Those are the kind of leadership traits expected at that level.”
The PDP spokesman said having filled their assets declaration forms, Tinubu and Shettima should not secretly submit same.

But the spokesman for the dissolved APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, countered Ologunagba against the agitation for the President to publicly declare his assets.

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Keyamo, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said, “Public declaration of assets is not a legal requirement. The public deserves to know this. It is just a matter of choice. If anyone thinks it is a moral obligation, he can do it. But that is left to individuals.’’

When asked if Labour Party would want Tinubu to make his declared assets public, the National Chairman of LP, Julius Abure, said, “Let’s give him some time to declare his assets. That’s my opinion. But the law says he should declare his assets. For me, I think he should do it publicly.

“He is already a wealthy man with all his acquisition after serving as a senator and a two-term governor. Are you even sure he will remember all his assets?” he said.