5th October, 2022
In an obvious move at fight back, Iyorchia Ayu, by its Chairman, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday set up a committee to investigate the recent return of over N120 million alleged bribery paid to some members of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC.
Members of the PDP NWC, mostly from the South – Taofeek Arapaja, deputy national chairman, south; Dan Osi Orbih, national vice chairman, south-south; Stella Effah-Atoe, national women leader; and Olasoji Adagunodo, national vice chairman, south-west had return various sums of money, totaling over N120 million to the account of the PDP following a newspaper publication that the funds were bribe paid to them to support continued stay in office.
The PDP chieftains, claimed that the funds were transferred into their accounts without the purpose stated.
The return of the funds, had led to calls for probe of Ayu by some members of the party who alleged that he has mismanaged the billions of naira realised by the party from sale of forms to aspirants for 2023 election contest.
Some members the party members, under the aegis of the Forum of PDP Candidates and Aspirants for 2023 Elections, have sent a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to demand probe of Ayu.
In the petition dated September 30, 2022 was jointly signed by the forum’s Coordinator, Chris Ogbu; Secretary, Dauda Yusuf; and Publicity Secretary, C. Ikenta, they asked EFCC to investigate and prosecute the party leaders over allegation of criminal misappropriation of party’s fund, unlawful disbursement of funds, bribery and others.
They listed Ayu, Senator Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary) and Umar Iliya Damagnum (Deputy National Chairman (North) as those to be investigated.
The petition read in part, “It is a matter of national and international embarrassment that the aforementioned members of the National Executive Committee of the Party, without the due authorization of the NEC, has criminally mismanaged and frittered over N10 billion which the party realised from the sale of Nomination Form during the parties primaries.
“They had also engaged in various acts of bribery and extortion of candidates without regard to the firm stand of the party in the fight against corruption. This allegation is backed up with the recent development of refund of various sums of money by some members of the National Working Committee.”
However, the party at the end of its NWS meeting on Tuesday insisted that the money paid to its national officers was not a bribe but housing allowance that passed through due process in a statement issued meeting in Abuja.
Ologunagba said that the NWC at its meeting on Tuesday, thoroughly examined the strange publication by a particular newspaper which reported that the housing allowance legally paid by the Party to its national officers was bribe.
He descibed the “Consequently, the NWC has set up an Investigative Committee headed by the National Legal Adviser to conduct an inquiry into the source of the said malicious and injurious publication.”
“After a thorough scrutiny of the payment by the party, the NWC in session established that the payment was not a bribe but housing allowance.
“Allowance duly approved and paid to national officers of the party in line with the conditions of service and entitlement of the staff and principal officers of the party.
“The NWC also established that the payment passed through due process procedures of the party in accordance with all extant financial regulations and payment approval processes of the party.
“It Is also instructive to state that the national officers who returned their housing allowances equally confirmed and affirmed at the meeting that the payment was not bribe.
“They affirmed it was their due entitlements in line with the Conditions of service and entitlement of the staff and principal officers of the party,” Ologunagba said.
He added that considering the above, the NWC resolved to conduct an extensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the said publication by the newspaper of Sept. 26.
He said that the newspaper publication was clearly targeted to cause disaffection among members and stakeholders of the party as well as bring the party to disrepute before its teeming supporters all over the world particularly in an election year.
“Consequently, the NWC has set up an Investigative Committee headed by the National Legal Adviser to conduct an inquiry into the source of the said malicious and injurious publication.”
The committee according to Ologunagba has one week to investigate the matter and report back to the NWC for further action.