Party leaders return slush funds secretly lodged in their accounts – Report
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have reportedly been accused of embarking on a bazaar with the proceeds from the sale of forms in the recent primaries of the party that produced candidates for the 2023 general elections.
This according to a report by whirlwind, is opening up a fresh wave of crisis in the party, already dogged with internal disputations amongs the top echelon.
“Scandalised members of the National Working Committee (NWC), are currently returning various sums of money, ranging from N28million to N36million, allegedly secretly lodged into their various accounts from the headquarters, for yet to be ascertained reasons, as part of the development, which seems to have vindicated Governor of Rivers State, who has accused the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu of corruption,” the report read.
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Wike, who told reporters in Port Harcourt, last Friday that Ayu collected N1billion from an unnamed presidential aspirant on the heels of the priaries, had earlier accused him of eyeing the huge funds generated during the exercise as the major reason, he had decided to stay put in office against his earlier commitment to resign his position in the case of a presidential candidate emerging from the North.
The governor, who has remained resolute on the ouster of the National Chairman as the irreducible minimum for peace in the party, was noticeably absent at Wednesday’s flagoff of the PDP campaigns signified by the inauguartion of the PDP Campaign Council (PCC), by the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in Abuja.
Insiders say from money being paid out from an apparent slush fund, were meant as bribe for the leaders to take sides in the ongoing crisis which has divided the party down the middle, with some standing behind the camp of Wike and others with Atiku.
Those who have returned the alleged bribe paid to them from the “proceeds of the N10bn sale of nomination forms” include the Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, who refunded N36m to the party’s account; National Vice Chairman South South, Chief Dan Orbih (N28m) and National Woman Leader, Stella Effah-Attoe (N28m).
Others are: National Vice Chairman South East, Alli Odefa (N28m); National Vice Chairman South West, Olasoji Adagunobi-Oluwatukesi (N28m) and Deputy National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo (N28m).
The letters for the return of the money were conveyed to the party’s National Chairman and leaked to the public.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State had accused the PDP’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu of pocketing N1billion in Lagos.
See samples of the letters from the party leaders: