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PDP Crisis Deepens As Other National Working Committee Members May Return N450million ‘Allowances’

PDP
October 1, 2022

This is to pit the NWC members against the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, whom some party members, led by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, asked to resign in order for peace to reign in the party.
 

 

The crisis among members of the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party widened on Friday as 16 other members were under pressure to refund the controversial N450million housing allowance to the party.
This, according to findings by PUNCH, is to pit the NWC members against the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, whom some party members, led by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, asked to resign in order for peace to reign in the party.
A credible source in the party revealed that “there is a tendency for most of them to return the money. Some are waiting for the national chairman to return before making a decision.”
On Thursday, six NWC members, including the Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja; National Woman Leader, Prof Stella Effah-Attoe; National Vice Chairman (South-South), Chief Dan Orbih, and three others returned what was termed housing allowance into the party’s coffers.
This came after Ayu was accused by the Rivers State governor of inducing NWC members with huge sums of money in a bid to conceal his alleged financial recklessness.
While Arapaja returned N36million, the five others returned the sum of N28.8million each with letters addressed to Ayu, giving reasons for their decision to reject the allowance.
The 21-member NWC includes the Deputy National Chairman (North), Umar Damagun; National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; Deputy National Secretary, Setoji Kosheodo; National Treasurer, Ahmed Mohammed; and the Deputy National Treasurer, Ndubisi David.
Others are the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Ighoyota Amori; National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyegikuro; Deputy National Financial Secretary, Adamu Kamale; National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba; and Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi.
The list also includes the Deputy National Women’s Leader, Hajara Wanka; National Youth Leader, Muhammed Suleiman; Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor; National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade; Deputy National Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; National Auditor, Okechuckwu Daniel; and Deputy National Auditor, Abdulrahman Mohammed.
In an interview with PUNCH, Osadolor, who is the party’s deputy National Youth Leader, said it was unfortunate that those who pressured Ayu to approve the allowance were the same people feigning morality.
He said, “It was a housing allowance for the NWC members and it is unfortunate that those who are now playing politics of malice with their housing allowance were even those who pressured Ayu into signing and approving such an allowance for them.
“They have been on the man for the past three months to approve the housing allowance for them – that it is their entitlement. The man has been stalling and saying, ‘We have major work at hand’.
“They had been on him saying they all came from different parts of the country and that they had yet to get a befitting accommodation matching their national status and all of that.”
He said part of their argument was that since it was part of the establishment code and manual of the party, they were entitled to housing allowance because they were working for the party.
“The chairman succumbed and followed due process. They all sat down on the NWC table, took minutes of it, voted and signed. Coming to the public now to play to the gallery for what they partook in is nothing but a wicked act and an act of mischief,” Osadolor added.

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Politics