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Multi-billion naira campaign fund, internal bickering tears PDP apart (2): Olisa Metuh on how NWC spent N9 Billion Election Funds

AMIDST the call for the sack of Mu’azu and the NWC, the party leadership has denied squandering the funds generated for the 2015 general elections.  The NWC also said they are not responsible for Jonathan’s loss to General Buhari.  He alleged they were largely sidelined by the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization. He also said NWC didn’t share any other party funds, in reference to the alleged missing PDP N2 trillion campaign largesse.

Rising in defence of the PDP NWC, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh admitted they generated N9 billion from the sale of party nomination forms.  Out of the amount, he explained, President Jonathan got N500m for his campaigns, while the PDP guber candidates were supported with N100 million each. He also said that PDP party candidates for national and state assemblies were also supported financially.

Metuh equally revealed how the NWC members shared N30 million each as “medical, furniture and housing allowance for three years.”

On how the initial N21 billion raised by the party was spent, the PDP spokesman said, the NWC knows nothing about it.  He referred them to a committee headed by former minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana.

CREST-FALLEN JONATHAN BREAKS SILENCE ON PDP LEADERSHIP SQUABBLES

Following the PDP post-election crisis, Jonathan has finally warned members of the NWC, stakeholders and elders to put an end to all internal bickering and media hostility as they were capable of further deepening the challenges the party is facing.

In fact, the President has given definite instruction that all acts of unwarranted attacks and counter-attacks on members and leadership of the party should stop immediately, according to PDP National Secretary, Professor Oladipo.

Rescue Committee for embattled PDP

AS part of efforts to rescue the PDP, a committee of 15 members, with Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu as Chairman, has been put in place by the NWC. The committee’s terms of reference are among others, to identify the remote and immediate causes of the relatively poor performance of the PDP in the 2015 general elections; trace the origin and process of the seeming decline of the party in its electoral performance; take a critical look at the preparations and build-up of the PDP to the general elections and determine its adequacies and lapses; review and determine the adequacy of the structures for the 2015 general elections and how those structures functioned. They would also ascertain the degree of anti-party activities, compromises and outright sabotage that may have contributed to the misfortunes of the party at the elections and investigate the funding of the elections to determine whether or not the funds meant for the campaigns were adequate and whether disbursements were properly done, since it has been an issue in the last couple of days.

Governors, who are members of the Ekweremadu-led committee and tagged, PDP Post-Election Assessment Committee, are the Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum, Akpabio; Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwabo of Gombe; Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State and the Rivers State governor-elect, Nyesom Wike.  Other members of the committee are the Minister of Education, Mal. Ibrahim Shekarau; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina; former governor of Niger State, Engr. Abdulkadir Kure; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro; Alh. Adamu Waziri; Sen. Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi; Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe; Chief Pegba Otemolu; Shauibu Oyedokun; Senator Florence Ita-Giwa.  Secretary, PDP Board of Trustees, BOT, Sen. Walid Jibril, who was earlier named as Secretary of the committee was replaced with Maina Waziri, who would act as Secretary till Jubril recovers from the surgery he recently had.

But at the inauguration of the committee, which took place at the NWC Hall of the PDP National Secretariat, Akpabio, Dankwabo and Orji were absent, just like Mu’azu and Jibril. The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, however, disclosed that Mu’azu was outside the country on a family commitment while the three governors were indisposed.

The committee was inaugurated by the PDP National Secretary, Professor Adewale Oladipo, who gave it three weeks to submit its report.

In his response, the Chairman of the PDP Post-Election Assessment Committee, Ekweremadu, who urged PDP members to learn from their failure and stop what he termed self pity, said blame trading will not solve PDP problems.

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Today’s major headlines (Monday, May 18, 2015)

Multi-billion naira campaign fund, internal bickering tears PDP apart (3): PDP treading familiar path