The Ahmed Makarfi’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has reacted to claims by the party’s National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff that the Caretaker Committee collects the sum of N50m monthly from governors on the platform of the party.
Recall that Sheriff’s Deputy, Cairo Ojougboh had earlier on Friday accused the Makarfi’s Committee of receiving the sum of N50m from governors.
However, a statement by the committee’ss spokesperson, Dayo Adeyeye described the claim as “a lie from the pit of hell.”
He said the allegation was an unintelligent attempt aimed at blackmailing them, stressing that the party was finding it difficult to pay salaries.
The statement quoted Adeyeye as saying all members of the party were free to make contributions, adding that receiving contributions was not illegal.
The statement reads, “On alleged N50 million monthly subvention: This is a lie from the pit of hell and a very cheap and unintelligent attempt at blackmail.
“It is a known fact by all critical stakeholders of the party and even the staff that the national caretaker committee has from inception been hamstrung by inadequate finance, so much so that simple secretariat duties have been a struggle while we have been unable to pay staff salaries of just N18 million a month. Members of the national caretaker committee do not enjoy any remuneration. It is a selfless service.
“It is therefore a figment of his imagination to say that the governors give the national caretaker committee N50 million monthly. The governors are all alive and are free to come forward and declare publicly their level of contributions to the national caretaker committee since May 21st 2016.
“Be that as it may, we want to say that the party belongs to all its members – governors, former governors, national assembly members, former national assembly members, presidents, former president, etc. All of them are free to make contribution to its running as it is not a personal empire of anybody or the national caretaker committee. There is therefore nothing illegal or untoward in receiving contributions from party members.
“Our only regret is that these contributions have not been forthcoming as expected, giving the heavy weight of responsibilities placed before us and especially the burden of having to deal with distractions caused by Senator Sheriff and his cohorts.”
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