POLITICS

N122m alleged bribes, our story – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied that monies returned by four chieftains of the party were bribes. The chieftains had rejected the monies ranging from N28million to N36million to the party, after a news report alleged they were actually hush monies.

The report had claimed members of the PDP National Working Committee were being bribed to keep silent on billions of  misappropriated party funds.

But in his rebuttal, Debo Ologunagba, the party’s national publicity secretary, said the monies were duly approved housing allowances, and not bribe monies as alleged.

Ologunagba said, “The NWC has noted that this misleading report stemmed from an unfounded publication by a particular media outlet which suggested that the Housing Allowance, an entitlement duly approved and paid to national officials and staff of the Party amounted to bribery.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP states in an unequivocal term that no funds were paid into the account of any member of the NWC as bribe for any purpose whatsoever for that matter.

“To set the record straight, the Housing Allowance being referred to went through the Due Process of the Party in line with the Conditions of Service and Entitlement of the Staff and Principal Officers of the Party.

“If any individual, for any reason decides to return money duly approved and paid, such does not in any way suggest that the money was paid as bribe or indicate that it was illegitimate or unlawfully paid.”

TheCornet reports that letters written by the four chieftains who rejected the monies surfaced on the social media. They are National Vice Chairman (South-West) Olasoji Adagunodo, the Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja; the National Vice Chairman (South), Dan Orbih and the National Women Leader, Stella Affah-Attoe.

While Arapaja got N36 million, Messrs Adagunodo and Orbih and Effah-Attoe got N28.8 million each.

In their letters addressed to the party national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, the chieftains expressed shock about the deposits in their account, while alluding to the newspaper publication.

The PDP has been embroiled in a crisis, which began as an offshoot of its presidential primaries believed to have been skewed to allow the emergence of its now presidential candidate, Abubakar Atiku.

Governor Nyesom Wike, who was also a contender for the ticket, and other like-minded leaders of the party have called for the resignation of the party chairman, Ayu.

According to them, Ayu’s continued stay breaches an earlier agreement that he would step down if the presidential candidate turned out to be a northerner as he.

 

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