PDP Members Petition EFCC over Alleged Bribery by Party Leadership

Udora Orizu in Abuja

No end in sight yet for the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as some party members have dragged the leadership before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of misappropriation of funds, among others. 

The party members, under the aegis of the Forum of PDP Candidates and Aspirants for 2023 Elections, have sent a petition to the commission’s chairman on the matter. 

The petition dated September 30, 2022 was jointly signed by the forum’s Coordinator, Chris Ogbu; Secretary, Dauda Yusuf; and Publicity Secretary, C. Ikenta. 

Specifically, the petitioners asked the commission to investigate and prosecute the party leaders over allegation of criminal misappropriation of party’s fund, unlawful disbursement of funds, bribery and others.

Those the petitioners want investigated are Senator Iyorchia Ayu (National Chairman), Senator Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary) and Umar Iliya Damagnum (Deputy National Chairman (North).

The petition read in part,  “It is a matter of national and international embarrassment that the aforementioned members of the National Executive Committee of the Party, without the due authorization of the NEC, has criminally mismanaged and frittered over N10 billion which the party realised from the sale of Nomination Form during the parties primaries. 

“They had also engaged in various acts of bribery and extortion of candidates without regard to the firm stand of the party in the fight against

corruption.  This allegation is backed up with the recent development of refund of various sums of money by some members of the National Working Committee.”