Why PDP NWC Members Returned  Spurious Money, Leadership Insists, It’s Not Bribe; EFCC Could Wade In

By Ayodele Oni

In what looks like Ayu’s gate, in the opposition People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) members of the National Working Committee (NWC) are pitched in controversy over the claim of bribing members to overlook the alleged collection of N10 billion against the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike had last week raised the allegation against the National Chairman on a national television programme.

In order to prevent an in-house rupture within the NWC, members were allegedly given some millions of Naira.

The move however blew up when members of the NWC from the Southern Caucus of the party resolved to return the booty.

Some of the Southern Caucus members are said to have returned as much as between N28 and N36 million.

As at last count, the Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, the National Women Leader, Prof Stella Effah-Attoe and the National Vice-Chairman, South-South, Chief Dan Orbih have returned theirs.

Arapaja returned N36 million paid to him while Effah-Attoe and Orbih each returned N28 million.

All of them in separate letters addressed to the National Chairman claimed that the money which was paid into their accounts under the guise of housing allowance were suspicious.

It was also learnt that the National Vice Chairman Southeast, Dr Alli Odefa, the National Vice-Chairman, Southwest Adagunobi-Oluwatukesi and the Deputy National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo equally returned theirs.

While letters written by Arapaja, Orbih and Effah-Attoe to the party were leaked, the status of others is still shrouded in secrecy.

The N10 billion in question was said to be sums collected from the sale of forms and nomination fees from aspirants seeking for elective political offices on the party’s platform.

Meanwhile,  the leadership of PDP has explained that the money paid into the accounts of the members of the NWC of the party, is meant for their housing and not bribe.

A statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Debo Ologunagba, stated that the return of the money by some members should not be misconstrued.

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.

“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).”

Not a few people think that the PDP has invited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to itself.