PDP Made N6.2B From Aspirants, Replies Ciroma
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 16, (THEWILL) – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today in Abuja made public vouchers that showed it earned N6.2 billion naira from the sale of forms to its aspirants that contested in the just concluded PDP primaries nationwide.
The move followed allegations by Alhaji Buhari Bala, a former political adviser to the erstwhile national chairman of the party, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, that the latter left N7 billion naira in the party’s coffers when he resigned his appointment a few weeks ago.
A breakdown of the figures showed that the party’s account in Zenith Bank Plc banked N2.124.49 billion; Access Bank Plc got N1.168 billion; Its UBA account got N1.351 billion; Skye Bank Plc got N859.26; Intercontinental Bank Plc banked N680.93 million; Oceanic Bank Plc banked N481.68 million and N172.26, as well as Unity Bank Plc where it banked N437.91 million. N3.8 billion naira was in a fixed deposit as at January 18, 2011.
The vouchers showed that the party spent part of the fortune it earned on the following: N79.3 million for printing of ballot papers for its cancelled staggered Presidential primaries and thereafter incurred another N79.3 million naira cost for the printing of new ballot papers for the Presidential congress it held at the Eagle Square.
Legal fees incurred N228 million naira; the PDP rebranding project cost it N240 million naira, while it spent N1.1 billion naira between October and December 22, 2010 on party affairs and the conduct of congresses nationwide.
Meanwhile, the PDP also responded to a statement issued yesterday by the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) through its leader Mallam Adamu Ciroma.
The Director of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, Mallam Abba Dabo in his first statement queried Ciroma’s motive for his statement which criticized the PDP for lacking internal democracy especially in the manner it conducted its Presidential primary that saw the election of Goodluck Jonathan as its Presidential candidate.
Dabo said: “We are indeed at a loss as to what he hopes to achieve by openly calling for the destruction of a house he laboured so hard to build.
“As a true democrat, we expect Mallam Ciroma to submit to the will of the majority as freely expressed at the last National Convention which has been globally acclaimed for its transparency.
“To continue holding tenaciously to divisive positions at a time the entire party and the nation are embarking on a process of healing and reconciliation does not tell well of Mallam Ciroma's hard earned reputation.
“We hope Mallam Ciroma does not submit himself to manipulations by non-PDP members of the NPLF whose interest is to capture power through ignoble means.
“It is our sincere wish that he reviews his current position quickly and avail his wise counsel to the Jonathan/Sambo ticket which is the choice of the PDP which he is a prominent member of.