A former spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has clashed with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) over his claim that the service released N90 billion to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for electioneering.
Mr Frank had alleged in a statement on Monday that Prof. Osinbajo mismanaged the funds meant for electioneering in the South West and is now being troubled by cabals on how the money was spent as they defeated the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the region with just 600, 000 votes.
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“The Presidency discovered how Osinbajo allegedly mismanaged N90 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service,” Frank said.
“When confronted by the presidency, he confirmed to General Buhari that he indeed allegedly took N90 billion from FIRS but it was used for the 2019 presidential election campaign in strategic states of the South-west.
“General Buhari asked for a breakdown of how the money was spent and he said he gave N11 billion to Lagos State APC leader but when the said national leader and one former APC chairman were invited for an explanation, it was confirmed that Osinbajo gave only N5 billion and not N11 billion to Lagos State.
“The cabal is asking to know how come they beat PDP in the South-west with less than 60,000 votes if the money was actually spent in the strategic states of the South-west as allegedly claimed.”
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Countering the allegation, the FIRS denied giving Osinbajo such amount.
It said: “The entire allegation being spread by one Frank Timi that the Federal Inland Revenue Service spent N90 billion to fund the last election is mendacious, wicked, malicious and a calculated attempt to smear the image of the Service and that of his Excellency, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
“That in the last four years since Mr. Tunde Fowler has supervised operations at the FIRS, the agency had not received up to N100 billion, per annum, as Cost of Collection from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC. FAAC is a public institution, whose records are open to the public.”
It also demanded “an unequivocal apology from the said Mr. Timi Frank and a well-publicised public apology in three major and leading newspapers within the next 24 hours.”
The service said that failure to do so it would “pursue claims for aggravated damages in libel and injurious falsehood” against Frank.
Unfazed by the threat, Frank called on the service to bury its face in shame over the alleged gross act of corruption recently exposed by him.
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He said: “I stand by my statement and I am not going to tender any apology to FiRS. They are the ones to apologise to Nigerians for illegally spending taxpayers’ money on elections.
“I cannot be intimidated by threats. I am prepared to meet them in court. Why are they crying more than the bereaved if they have nothing to hide?
“Why did they decide to respond on behalf of the Vice President, who is the main issue here? Is the FIRS now Osinbajo’s mouthpiece?”
