Following the N177 million alleged bribe against six members of the PDP, those watching the prolonged crisis in the opposition party said the development will further threaten the position of the National Chairman of the party, Iyorcha Ayu.
Top members of the party, on Thursday, returned various sums following a report that they were paid from the N10 billion realized from the sale of nomination forms during its last convention.
Those that returned money include 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.
Not a few watching the crisis in the party insist that the money may have been used to bribe the National Working Committee, NWC members in other to buy their support for the embattled National Chairman of the party, Iyorcha Ayu, who is currently out of the country.
The National Publicity of the PDP, Ologunagba has however denied the money was a bribe, adding that the funds, which have now been paid back into the party’s account were approved for the said officials by the party leadership.
The development comes a few days after Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state accused the Ayu leadership of collecting an N1 billion bribe to support Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the party.
Governor Wike has insisted on the resignation of Ayu while Atiku says he must stay in office.
The alleged bribery scandal, many say, will further put pressure on the Ayu-led NWC to quit office, even though the affected officials said the money sent to their accounts went through due process.
‘The question is why the said officials have now decided to return the money if actually, it’s legitimate. The party will have to do more to remove the doubts in the minds of the public. It even came at a time that one of their governors has accused the NWC of mismanaging billions of naira belonging to the party,” a public affairs analyst said.
Reacting to the development, Ologunagba, said in a statement on Friday that the NWC members were paid for housing allowance.
“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 statement reads.
“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 a 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.
“A bribe is defined as “money or any other valuable consideration given or promised with a view to corrupting the behavior of a person especially in that person’s performance as a public official.
“This is not the case in the payment of housing allowance duly approved for officials and staff of the party.
“The PDP, therefore, urges all members, teeming supporters, and the general public to disregard the report and misleading insinuation which are clearly designed to malign the PDP, cause disaffection, and distract our party from our mission to rescue, rebuild and redirect our nation from the misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
Meanwhile, those watching the party say it must put its acts together now that the election campaign has started in earnest. Any further mistake, they insist is capable of costing the party the 2023 presidential election it’s desperate to win.
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