Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government of playing politics with the palliative monetary incentive to market women and traders.
He specifically accused Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of dubiously manipulating Nigerian Electorate ahead of 2019 with the ‘trader moni’ to canvass votes for the APC candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari.
Saraki, who is the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Management Council, said in Abuja on Friday during an interactive session with the media that the vice president and by extension, the APC should be transparent in the administration of the fund by involving other Nigerians irrespective of party leanings.
He said: “In 2015, I didn’t see the vice president going anywhere to give any body trader money. I’m 2016, I didn’t see the vice president going anywhere to give any body trader money. In 2017, I didn’t see the vice president going anywhere to give any body trader money but all of a sudden in 2018, and the worse part about it is that he goes with women leaders of his party, governors of his party”.
Cautioning Osinbajo to involve other parties in the process, he said “at least if you’re going and it is Nigerian money, you should have women leaders of all political parties because the money belongs to Nigeria. But all we’ve been seen are APC women leaders. It is wrong, we have said it.
“It equates in a way to a sophisticated vote buying because if it is not vote buying, he should have been doing it since 2015. You got the budget for it in 2015, in 2016 you didn’t go, 2017 you didn’t go but all of a sudden 2018; that’s the biggest programme then you go, carrying APC governors beside you, women leaders of the party of APC beside you, you’re collecting PVC cards.
“Nigerians are not going to be fooled like that, anything that is not based on sincerity, if he has been doing it since 2015, 2016, 2017, then you can say that but to us, it is sophisticated vote buying and next time he goes out, he should carry people that represent the community not just one party.
“Let them carry members, women associations from not only a particular party or political association. “So, definitely it is wrong. It’s either they stop it completely or they expand the space and ensure that it represents all Nigerians because the money when it was appropriated we did not put beside it APC appropriated money. It is money appropriated for all Nigerians, so when they go out on such events, they should have all Nigerians present.
“I’m sure when they’re going, they can invite neighbouring states so that all or even the political leaders of other political parties in that state should participate and not just the ruling party. (Guardian)
