The governing All Progressives Congress (APC) has replied the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over its allegations that the party’s upcoming national convention would be funded by its states’ governors.
It said it would not descend so low to dip its hands into public treasury like it was the PDP’s practice in funding its political programmes and activities.
National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated this in a statement he issued in Abuja on Monday, copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER.
Abdullahi, who is a former Minister of Sports in Nigeria, referred the PDP to APC’s statement issued earlier on the same matter and also invited the umbrella party to note that the APC convention had not even submitted a budget for the convention therefore wondering how the opposition party got its figure of N6 billion to be coughed out for the finance of the governing party’s upcoming convention from.
In the statement titled, “Re: PDP Allegations on APC Finances, Convention Funding”, the APC spokesman said in details:
“In reacting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) allegations on the management of the All Progressives Congress (APC) finances and the funding for the Party’s upcoming 2018 National Convention among other unsubstantiated allegations contained in a statement by a spokesman for the PDP, we refer the PDP to the APC’s 2016 published independent audit report and accompanying financial statements.
“In respect of the funding for our upcoming national convention, we also refer the PDP to our earlier issued statement (http://officialapcng.com/re-despite-owing-salaries-apc-governors-to-contribute-n6billion-for-upcoming-congresses-convention/) and also invite PDP to note that the APC convention committee has not submitted a budget for the convention.
“Besides, the expenses for the National Convention to elect national officers and the presidential convention are duly captured in our 2018 budget. Therefore, the issue of N6billion convention expenses is neither here nor there.
“While we assure Nigerians that the APC has not adopted the PDP’s practice of dipping their hands into the public till to fund its political activities as brazenly displayed during the 2015 elections, we equally call on the PDP to emulate the APC’s best practice of financial probity and openness by making public their audited reports and financial statements, if they have any.”
