Tinubu returns to heroic welcome in Lagos; .. Says attempt to prosecute me, mere waste of public funds, energy.
IT was a carnival at the presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos yesterday.
The carnival like event was to welcome the national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu after his acquittal by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, which charged him for alleged running of multiple foreign accounts, while serving as governor.
As early as 9.00 am, scores of party stalwarts dressed in party attires and other friends and associates stormed the presidential wing car park, to give a rousing welcome to the party.
Among them were the 57 chairmen of local councils and development areas across the state.
The ACN stalwarts was led by Chief Henry Ajomale chairman of the party in Lagos and the leader of the Igbo United Political Coalition, Chief Chris Igbilo, and other party loyalists.
Apart from party stalwarts, hundreds of youths in the party also stormed the presidential wing to welcome the ACN leader.
The inscription on some of the placards they were carrying read: "Yet another victory for Jagaban. He came, he saw, he conquered." The Jagaban traditional title was bestowed on him by the Emir of Borgu, Niger State.
Among the groups represented at the welcome reception were the Lagos Island Market Men and Women Association, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
Some white cap chiefs from the palace of the Oba of Lagos were also on ground to welcome the Asiwaju.
While speaking with airport correspondents, the former governor described his trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal as an attempt by the ruling People's Democratic Party ( PDP), to persecute him.
He explained that the government could have initiated prosecution from abroad, given the treaty Nigeria signed with the United Kingdom and the United States of America, but went ahead to unduly embarrass members of his family, affirming that the time spent in the over two years trial could have been spent to address the challenge of hunger Nigerians are grappling with.
While giving kudos to the judiciary for standing to uphold the rights of the defenceless, Tinubu challenged the ruling party to provide proof of how he ran the accounts while in office, in terms of details of transactions, the source of income and other vital information.
He challenged the ruling party to consider the trial of other top government officials who lived abroad, and ran foreign accounts, but were invited home to serve the government.
Tinubu reasoned that it is a great disservice to expect such people to close their account abroad, only because they wanted to serve their country.
The ACN leader accused the ruling party of twisting the constitution to its own benefit by carrying out selective trial of opposition party members, without due consideration to constitutionally prescribed rules and regulation.
Tinubu explained that he remains unperturbed over the harassment by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Asiwaju said: "First, gratitude to God Almighty, my party for keeping faith in me, gratitude to my family for enduring the insults and persecution particularly my young children. Gratitude to my party as a whole, both local and foreign. Then to my parent; my mother, the Oba of Lagos and major leaders who gave me the encouragement.
"But, I have always maintained one thing from here, all along, during the media prosecution, challenging them to go to court instead of the media and dangling the Sword of Damocles on my head.
"The trend has been on for over two years and I have always said that where there is justice, the person or an institution who is accusing must demonstrate proof. Here we are again, if there is a court of justice in this country, they have seen the lack of depth in what they have done.
"What they have done is to list accounts without balances, no transaction history, no source and application of operating and maintaining or maintaining and operating.
"They have gone beyond the spirit of the constitution to persecute because it even pays the government for people in Diaspora to live their account transparently and known to the public and if there is any transaction there, you show the history of transaction and you have treaty on money laundering.
He added: "They didn't disclose to you the details in the accounts. They listed 16 accounts including those of my little children. One of them has a balance of three thousand of pocket money in one of the account. Now, they forced the bank to close down that account. Another one, an 18 years old with 18 pounds balance, can that be why you will now hire such numbers of Senior Advocates of Nigeria with huge amount to pursue what? At the expense of the public? When there is hunger, what is happening to those lawyers in the ministry of justice?"
On what the acquittal portends for the judiciary, Tinubu said: "In every society, we have highly courageous people who have the benefit of the people at heart, they abound in the Judiciary, particularly members and chairman of the tribunal in this case, have demonstrated commitment to the rule of law. The right of man cannot be limited or perverted because of partisan belief."
Also speaking, the national chairman of the ACN, Chief Bisi Akande described Tinubu as a man with radical ideas. ''We admire the courage in our leader and courage is essential in building a political party.''
Also the media office of the former governor in a statement thanked all Nigerians at home and abroad fortheir steadfastness and demand for jussice. the statement attributed Asiwaju's victory to their support.
The Nation