By KEMI KASUMU
The Official Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APCPCC), Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), has highlighted why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot be placed on the table for consideration of Nigerians as they decide their next president come February, 2023.
Keyamo, who is also the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, in a weekend tweet, was reacting to report of five PDP National Working Committee (NWC) members, who wrote letters to the opposition party’s leadership returning N151 million paid into their respective accounts as house rent allowance.
When shared into five, each has over N30 million and this, Keyamo said, makes case worse for the party seeking to be allowed back in office to fight corruption in the country.
The DEFENDER reports that five members of the PDP’s NWC had allegedly returned the money paid into their respective accounts by the party’s leadership as house rent.
Four of the NWC members, who were reported to have returned the money, were the Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja; National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Olasoji Adagunodo; National Vice Chairman (South-South), Chief Dan Orbih and National Women Leader, Prof. Stella Affah-Attoe.
All the four party leaders wrote letters to inform the National Chairman of the development. While Arapaja reportedly got N36 million, the trio of Adagunodo, Orbih and Effah-Attoe got N28.8 million each, on the average, each got N30 million.
In a letter addressed to PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, Arapaja said he had read a story in a national daily on September 26, 2022, that “NWC members were offered humongous amount of money to keep us silent over an allegation of financial misappropriation to the tune of N15 billion.
“This led me to browse through my various alerts and I discovered a transfer of N36,000,000.00 from the party. I have my reservation about this money transferred into my account and for personal reasons wish to return it accordingly. Kindly confirm the receipt of UBA electronic transfer of the money attached herewith.”
Orbih, in his own letter, which was also addressed to Ayu, stated: “My attention has been drawn to a damaging trending story reported in the newspaper titled ‘Disquiet in PDP NWC over N10 billion nomination fees.’ Among several other allegations, it was alleged that members of the NWC were offered N28 million to gloss over scandalous financial misappropriation.
“To my shock and surprise, it has been confirmed to me by my bank that the sum of N28,800,000 has been credited to my account by the party. I hereby notify you of my decision to pay back the money to the party’s account.”
Attoe, in her own letter addressed to the PDP national treasurer, said: “If you may recall, the sum N28,800,000 was paid into my UBA Account Number on September 14, 2022. When I enquired from your office, I was told that the said sum is for two years house rent for me, as a member of the NWC.
“Since the lodgment of the money into my account, | have been inundated with phone calls from party members, friends, family members and the general public, insinuating that the said money has been given as a bribe to bring me and other NWC members on the side of the National Chairman following the crisis between him on one side and the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike on the other side.
“This development has made me very uncomfortable having found myself in such an embarrassing situation, I am hereby refunding to the bank account of our great party at the PDP national secretariat,” she wrote.
The PDP’s NWC confirmed the payments but denied it was a brine. The question thus arose as to where in Nigeria does two years house, even taken in advance, costs N28.8 million or N30 million.
When the APC’s PCC Official Spokesperson, Festus Keyamo (SAN) would react to the confirmation of the payments by PDP and its denial of them being bribes, he said it was huge enough to make their case worse.
“This makes the story of PDP even wise. How can you use about N30 million of scarce party funds to pay for house rent of just ONE MEMBER of NWC? A party struggling to regain power at the centre? Gosh! Instead of this ludicrous refutal, Nigerians should be getting an apology!” He said.
Just earlier on sighting the letters, Keyamo had tweeted, “Look at the Party that wants to rescue Nigeria. A leopard cannot change its skin! Nigerians have since left Egypt. They can never go back to the era of PDP!
“When you’re a chameleon & you change constantly to play on people’s emotions, this is the result! I also just heard this refrain: “it is the people of Nigeria running for President through me!” Really? So, you’re not running for President? This is a case of THEIR MUMU JUST START!” Festus Keyamo said.
