TheCable

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to go ahead with its threat of litigation, saying that it will present evidence against the agency in court.

The party insists that the organisation is behind the hate campaign against Muhammadu Buhari, its presidential candidate, describing NIMASA as a campaign outpost for the PDP.

On Sunday, Ziakede Akpobolokemi, director-general of NIMASA, gave the party an ultimatum of 72 hours to retract the allegations or risk a legal action.

But Garba Shehu, director of media and publicity APC presidential campaign organisation, described Akpobolokemi’s statement as an empty threat.

“NIMASA is trying to reduce this to a campaign issue, but the truth is that the conversion of a statutory government agency into one actively promoting partisan political actions of the president is of national significance,” he said in a statement.

“There are several acts of the management that are at variance with the objectives and scope of activities of the agency as spelled out under the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act, 2007.

“NIMASA Act does not envisage the involvement of the agency in political campaign. It certainly has no provision for hate campaigns against Buhari, nor does it allow for the funding of the activities of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN).

“It assumes a more serious dimension when staff are denied their dues and money shipped out to fund illegal activities.”