Dasukigate: N100m From Anenih To Falae, Ladoja Confirmed
SAN FRANCISCO, January 08, (THEWILL) – Accord Party has confirmed that its leader, Sen. Rashidi Ladoja, received N100m from former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tony Anenih, ahead of the election.
Similarly, Chief Olu Falae, National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, has confirmed that he received N100 million from Anenih for the purposes specified.
Both parties did not present a presidential candidate in the 2015 general elections.
Ladoja is a former Senator and Governor of Oyo State. He was also the governorship candidate of the party during the last election, while Falae is a former Finance Minister and Presidential aspirant.
The monies received from Anenih, which is believed was from the $2.1b meant for the procurement of arms, was given to solicit their parties support and cooperation with the PDP.
In a letter to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, by the National Secretary of Accord Party, Mr. Nureni Adisa, the party said that the money was used to money to support the second term presidential ambition of former President Godluck Jonathan.
“Our attention has been drawn to a newspaper report that the sum of N100m was released to the Accord leader, Sen. Rashidi Ladoja by Chief Tony Anenih, the (former) Chairman BoT of the PDP,” it read.
“We confirm that the sum of N100m was given to the party through our leader after series of meetings between the leadership of Accord and Chief Tony Anenih in preparation for the 2015 general elections.
“Issues discussed at the meetings include the need to support the presidential candidate of the PDP since Accord had no presidential candidate, the need to ensure that peace was maintained to enhance peaceful movement during periods of campaign, elections and after the elections and the need for the PDP to support Accord's campaign effort.
“Accordingly, the PDP (former) BoT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih released the sum of N100m for these purposes through our leader, Sen. Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja.
“The money released was accordingly used for the purposes as stated above.”
Mr. Falae, in his admission, said the money was purely for inter party affairs.
Mr. Falae, who spoke to a local media, explained that the SDP was approached by the PDP in the build-up to the presidential election.
“The then ruling party solicited for our support in order for President Goodluck Jonathan to win the March 28 presidential election,” he said.
“Anenih related with me as the chairman of the PDP BoT and I did same as the SDP National Chairman. He wrote to me as PDP BoT chairman and I wrote back as SDP national chairman stating conditions/terms for the alliance.
“I have the record. It is true that N100 million was given to my party to endorse and work for the Jonathan's candidature in the 2015 election.
“We used the money for that purpose and we effectively campaigned for the PDP since we did not have presidential candidate in the election. The money was not for me.
He added that there was no way he could know that the money was from the arms fund.
“With all the money PDP has and having spent 16 years in power, how would I know that the money was from the arms deal? No reference was made to the arms deal. So, they should not bring me into the arms issue,” he said in the interview.
The former National Security Adviser, Col. Sabo Dasuki (retd.), who is currently undergoing trial, is alleged to have diverted $2.1bn meant for procurement of arms and ammunition that the armed forces would have used to fight Boko Haram insurgents.
N260m was reportedly traced to the account of Anenih.
But in a letter to the EFCC, Anenih had explained that the money was a part refund of the money former President Goodluck Jonathan instructed him to release to some political groups for mobilisation and post-election peace advocacy.
Oputah David