But Shehu said Adoke lacked character and moral standing considering the litany of corruption allegations against him.
Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to former President Muhammadu Buhari has attacked a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Mohammed Adoke, for saying he was a victim of a witch-hunt by Buhari’s administration.
But Shehu said Adoke lacked character and moral standing considering the litany of corruption allegations against him.
Shehu in a statement he personally signed and released on Sunday night in response to the cases involving Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID), Paris Club, and the Ajaokuta steel company, said Buhari’s administration saved Nigeria from corruption orchestrated to plunge the country into a total economic crumble.
In a recent interview with Adesua Giwa-Osagie, the former AGF, Adoke, said Buhari’s administration was the “most incompetent” Nigeria ever had, stressing that it was run by “a set of political morons.”
Adoke while commenting on the corruption allegations against him and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, by former President Buhari’s government, said that despite Saraki’s opposition to his appointment as Minister of Justice under former President Goodluck Jonathan, he and Saraki had since become friends.
He described Saraki as one of the “emerging leaders” of the country.
When asked if he believed that the corruption allegations against him were politically motivated, Adoke said, “I have been a victim of corruption allegations by the immediate past government.
“The most incompetent government we’ve ever seen in this country; run by the most incompetent president that this country has ever had and will never have again, and run by a set of political morons.”
But Buhari’s spokesperson, Shehu, in the statement he titled, ‘Adoke Likely Lacking Character and Moral Standing for His Anti-Corruption Pretense,’ said the former Attorney General had been enjoying a spotlight, masquerading as an anti-corruption character in a skit for which he was ill-suited.
Shehu said, “Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke has been enjoying a spotlight, masquerading as an anti-corruption character in a skit for which he is ill-suited. He neither has the track record nor the moral standing to accuse anyone of corruption, not least the former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The fact that this character is a free man, walking away from the industrial corruption their administration foisted on the 200 million-plus Nigerians is an Eighth Wonder. So vast was its scale, it is today a subject of international scrutiny. That should be a script for a Nollywood/Kannywood blockbuster all by itself.
“Most outrageously, the cases cited by Adoke as a reference point of corruption were cases that originated from an administration in which he himself was the man responsible for the administration of justice.
“The contract and incidental judgment in the Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID) were inherited by the Buhari administration. To his credit, President Buhari succeeded in staying its execution even when the previous administration that was responsible for the creation of the liability watched helplessly and exposed Nigeria to over $10 billion liability.
“Paris club saga that Adoke cited as an example of corrupt practices of the Buhari administration is not in any way different in origin and circumstances from the case of P&ID.
“It was rooted in administrations that predated that of President Muhammadu Buhari. Adoke was a product of the administration that planted the evil foundation and the judgments that resulted therefrom.
“The logical conclusion any reasonable person can make on P&ID, Paris Club and Ajaokuta is that President Buhari came on a rescue mission and effectively saved Nigeria from corrupt undertones that were planted to expose its economy to imminent collapse.
“The success of the Buhari administration in the direction of the fight against corruption is unprecedented.
“New legislations were introduced, major recoveries were made at home, stolen monies were repatriated from abroad, and they were judiciously deployed in infrastructure development. High-profile convictions were recorded in unprecedented numbers, with enhanced percentages over and above the records in existence.
“It is in international recognition of these efforts that the African Union chose the former President as its African Continental Anti-Corruption Champion. Additional recognitions by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Corruption, UNODC among others were also lauded on the former president and his administration.
“Adoke also made some wild allegations in the aviation sector.
“The efforts of the Buhari administration in aviation are known: They were visible in terms of capital infrastructure development, safety, and policy; they changed the face of the aviation sector into an attractive one for investment, resulting in new airlines coming on board. No major commercial airline incident was recorded throughout this period.
“All Nigerians by right can say whatever they want of the Buhari administration. No one is offended by their actions, right or wrong.
“But when you come out with innuendos of corruption written all over your face and say that you want to moralise and pontificate, Nigerians in different walks of life will have problems with that.
“Mr. Adoke, your record in office makes you the wrong character for this famous skit.”