The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West has described the purported indictment of former governor of Osun State and National Secretary of the PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola by a panel set up by the Rauf Aregbeola-led Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the State as “cheap blackmail and cover up plot that won’t work.”
The PDP, which also described the panel report as diversionary said; “Aregbesola should rather react to reports that his Accountant General has been a guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for some days now instead of running after Prince Oyinlola, whose pedigree, credibility, records of public service and academic attainments he cannot match.”
In a release issued today, Zonal Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Kayode Babade, said it was funny and ridiculous that Aregbesola, who has plunged Osun State into over N100 billion debt within two years of his purchased government is the one indicting someone who borrowed only N18.3 billion throughout his seven and half years as governor, spent N10 billion out of it, and repaid N1.8 billion.
The party said; “from the utterances of Aregbesola when he appeared before the panel, it was certain that no matter how good intentioned the panel members were, they would come out with a guilty verdict against Oyinlola because they were only working to answer.”
“It is on record that Aregbesola only inherited N8 billion debt while there was also N8 billion unspent fund in the government accounts.
“How can someone, who under two year borrowed over N108 billion and has awarded over N30 billion contracts on contractors financing basis be the one to indict someone whose debt profile was just N8 billion in seven and half years? Isn’t that ridiculous?
“We are however happy that much as Aregbesola had wanted the panel to scandalise Prince Oyinlola, the panel did not say in its report that he (Oyinlola) stole public funds.
“It is now left for members of the public to ask Aregbesola how obtaining loans as approved by the House of Assembly made up of 15 PDP members and 11 ACN members has constituted an offence?
“As for us in the PDP, our advice to Aregbesola is that he should concentrate on salvaging his already failed government instead of running after the shadows of Prince Oyinlola, more than 23 months after he left office.”