Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption chair Prof Sagay dismisses allegations against Osinbajo

PRESIDENTIAL adviser Professor Itse Sagay has dismissed the ongoing campaign of calumny against vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo as the handiwork of government enemies saying the number two man is an incorruptible man of God who is as clean as a whistle.

Over the last week, Professor Osinbajo has come under a ferocious attack from political opponents trying to discredit him. Timi Frank, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy publicity secretary even claimed that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Firs) made available a sum of N90bn ($247.62m) to the party to fund its February presidential campaign, which was handed to Professor Osinbajo.

Mr Frank further alleged that the money was mismanaged by the vice president who was tasked with using the funds to bolster APC fortunes in the southwest geo-political zone. It is thought that Mr Frank is the public face of President Muhammadu Buhari's kitchen cabinet, who have declared all out war on Professor Osinbajo over the last week because they see him as a threat to their plans to take over total control of the apparatus of government.

Members of President Buhari's kitchen cabinet thought to be behind the attack on the vice president include Abba Kyari, Mamman Daura, Isa Funtua, Boss Mustapha, Lawal Daura and Baba Gana Kingibe. Incensed that Firs, a government agency has been dragged into this dirty political campaign of calumny, its director of information Wahab Gbadamosi, has asked Mr Frank to withdraw the statement of get sued for libel.

Wading into the debate, Professor Sagay, the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (Pacac), described Professor Osinbajo as an incorruptible man of God who is as clean as a whistle. He added that allegations levelled against the vice president were untrue as his committee did not receive any report indicting Professor Osinbajo in any way.

Professor Sagay accused the opposition of being the brains behind the malicious rumour, adding that having failed at the courts, they were desperately trying to cause disaffection in the presidency. He added that it is untrue that there is any disagreement between the president and vice president based on corruption.

“Our committee received no report indicting the vice president in any way, absolutely nothing. The vice president is an incorruptible man of God, a man of high moral standing who is as clean as a whistle and he will not appropriate any money that doesn’t belong to him to himself.

“The vice president is not having any issue with President Buhari. All these malicious reports and fake news are being sponsored by the opposition and enemies of the government and it should be disregarded,” Professor Sagay added.