Declare your asset publicly, PDP tells Tinubu, Shettima, echoes Yar'Adua's example

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called upon President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima to follow the footsteps of the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua by publicly disclosing their assets.

Telescope.ng gathered that the party believes that this act would serve as a demonstration of their commitment to lead by example.

The PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, conveyed this message on Sunday.

Ologunagba emphasized that merely filling out asset declaration forms and submitting them to the Code of Conduct Bureau, as required by law, is insufficient.

He urged both the President and the Vice President to publicly declare their financial and material worth, following the path set by 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,” Ologunagba stated during a telephone conversation with The PUNCH.

He further stated: “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 further stressed that Tinubu and Shettima should not secretly submit their asset declaration forms after filling them out. He encouraged them to showcase their commitment to transparency by making their declarations public.

However, Festus Keyamo, the spokesman for the dissolved APC Presidential Campaign Council and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, opposed the demand for the President to publicly declare his assets. Keyamo argued that public declaration of assets is not a legal requirement and is purely a matter of personal choice.

In response to whether the Labour Party (LP) supports Tinubu making his declared assets public, Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the LP, stated, “Let’s give him some time to declare his assets. That’s my opinion.

But the law says he should declare his assets. 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?”

As the debate surrounding asset declarations continues, the PDP’s call for transparency and accountability remains a central point of contention.