The leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is again at the back foot defending an allegation of corruption within its leadership as some members of its National Working Committee (NWC) returned “strange” fund recently paid into their bank accounts.
The party has been battling for months with opposition from within by a group loyal to Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, which has pulled out of the presidential campaign in demand for the replacement of National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu.
The group says it is unfair to the South to have both National Chairman and presidential candidate from the North. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the standard bearer of the party in next year’s presidential poll, is from the North East zone, while Ayu is from North Central.
At least four NWC members have written to Ayu informing him of their decision to return the “housing allowance” paid into their accounts from the party’s coffers.
The development came a few days after The Nation reported that members of the PDP NWC were miffed over alleged depletion of the N10 billon the party made from the sale of nomination forms during the primaries for the 2023 elections.
In a recent interview with major television networks, Wike also accused Ayu of collecting N1 billion from an unnamed presidential candidate in Lagos.
It is believed that, in a bid to pacify the NWC members, amounts ranging from N28 million to N36 million was transferred into the bank account of each of 19 members. It is not certain when they payment was made, but the NWC passed a vote of confidence on the National Chairman in the midst of the Ayu-Must-Go campaign three weeks ago.
In a letter titled, “Credit of twenty eight million, eight hundred thousand naira paid into my bank account number, 3098567123 by the PDP”, and addressed to the National Chairman, one of the NWC members, who returned his money wrote: “Please, be informed that the said payment has become a subject of media story carried with bad intention by them.
“I hereby inform you of the refund of the sum of N28,800,000 back to the PDP account number, 1000095003 at Globus Bank Plc. The receipt of the payment back to the account is attached”.
Another letter titled, “Return of N36 million Housing Allowance paid into my account,” read in part: “I observed a malicious story reported in the newspaper of 26th September, 2022 where it was alleged that members of the NWC were offered humungous amount of money to silent us on an allegation of financial misappropriation to the tune of N15bn.
“This led me to browse through my various alerts and I discovered a transfer into my account and for personal reasons, wish to return it accordingly.
“Kindly confirm the receipt of UBA electronic transfer of N36m attached herewith. The letter was copied the party’s National Secretary.”
While the Special Assistant Communication and Strategy to the PDP National Chairman, Simon Imobo-Tswam, said, “We have not seen the letters. So, I can’t say anything for now”; the party’s spokesman gave some explanations.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Debo Ologunagba said on Thursday night that the fund represented the housing allowances of the NWC members.
He said that the money was an entitlement duly approved and paid to national officials and staff of the party.
The statement reads: “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to misrepresenting reports in a section of the media alluding strange and unfounded motives to the Housing Allowance duly approved and paid to NWC members and staff of the Party.
“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.
“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”.
