In an interview with Punch Newspaper, Doyin Okupe accused President Muhammadu Buhari of carrying out a selective war against corruption and giving no regard to the rule of law.

Okupe, who was a Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, stated that recent developments like the arrest of Olisa Metuh, National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, is making President Buhari lose respect.

“Buhari is respected but with the hounding of opposition members, he is losing respect in the eyes of the international community. This selective probe is eroding his integrity,” He told Punch Newspaper in a telephone interview.

Okupe said that the PDP got and used its campaign funds in the same manner the All Progressives Congress, APC did and therefore condemned Metuh’s arrest and detention by the EFCC.

He said: “The Federal Government should not try to dabble into or control the finances of the PDP. The way and manner the ruling party is undertaking its selective probe by hounding opposition leaders is unbecoming and very disheartening.

“Party finances are not the business of the government. The former National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, cannot deny that he didn’t collect money for campaigns during the last elections.

“Why is the Federal Government not asking questions on the sources of the APC’s campaign funds? The way the PDP spent billions of naira to fund its campaigns in the media was the same way the APC did theirs. Where did the APC get its campaign funds from? The opposition must be given the liberty to thrive.”

Okupe is also of the opinion that Femi Fani-Kayode should be left alone and not questioned as he only provided professional services to the PDP during the campaign and election process of the 2015 general elections.

This was in reaction to the claims that Fani-Kayode received payments worth billions in naira from the embattled Sambo Dasuki, ex-NSA boss.

Okupe further admonished President Buhari to emulate ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, who even in the face of debilitating and demeaning insults from leaders of the opposition remained tolerant and never retaliated.

He also condemned the statement of the National Chairman of the APC, John Odigie-Oyegun in which he urged Nigerians not to abuse the president, stating that a leader needs to be tolerant of criticism.

Adebayo Emuleomo