ABUJA, Nigeria – The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has challenged President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima to publicly declare their assets, taking inspiration from the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua’s example of transparent leadership.
This call was made on Sunday, June 4, 2023, by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
Ologunagba contended in a phone conversation with journalists that it was not sufficient for the President and the VP to fill asset declaration forms and submit them to the Code of Conduct Bureau to comply with the law.
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Despite contesting Tinubu’s victory in the February 25, 2023, presidential election, Ologunagba encouraged both leaders to display their commitment to transparency by publicly declaring their financial and material assets, similar to Yar’ Adua.
“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,” Ologunagba said.
He further suggested that Tinubu and Shettima should not submit their asset declaration forms privately.
However, Festus Keyamo, spokesman for the dissolved APC Presidential Campaign Council, opposed the call for a public declaration of assets by the President.
As a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Keyamo stated, “Public declaration of assets is not a legal requirement. The public deserves to know this. It is just a matter of choice.”
When questioned on whether the Labour Party would want Tinubu to publicly declare his assets, the National Chairman of LP, Julius Abure, replied, “Let’s give him some time to declare his assets. That’s my opinion.”
“But the law says he should declare his assets,” Abure added. “For me, I think he should do it publicly. He is already a wealthy man with all his acquisitions after serving as a senator and a two-term governor. Are you even sure he will remember all his assets?”
