Nigerian Government Denies Freezing Opposition Candidate’s Account

(Bloomberg) -- Nigeria’s government denied claims by the country’s main opposition party that it froze the bank accounts of their vice-presidential candidate.

The People’s Democratic Party said in a statement on Saturday that the bank accounts of Peter Obi, his wife, family members and their businesses had been blocked “by agencies” of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Obi is the vice presidential choice of Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate in February elections.

The allegation is a “fairy tale,” Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesman, said on Twitter on Tuesday. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission also denied in statement that it took any action against Obi.

Buhari came to power in 2015 vowing to clamp down on endemic corruption. Critics have accused him of using his anti-graft campaign as a pretext to target political opponents.

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