By Idris Saidu
365Daily – Governors under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), have queried the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s interest in investigating the party’s finances.
The PDP Governors Forum (PDP-GF), in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, May 22, 2021, by its Director-General, Hon. CID Maduabum, said the probe was curious since the PDP had not defaulted in submitting yearly financial accounts to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by the Constitution.
The PDP Governors also said they were unaware that INEC had made any complaints to EFCC on PDP’s financial returns that warranted the recent invitation of PDP officials by the EFCC raised some concerns on the impartiality of the anti-graft agency.
According to the Governors, the PDP as a political party has been accountable to its members and the general public, hence its concern that the government is making the move to ”silence political opposition.”
He advised the EFCC’s new leadership to learn from the mistakes of its predecessors, saying: “Even the petition in question did not make a single allegation of misuse of government funds, nor cheating of any individual or public authority by the PDP.
“It is, therefore, surprising that EFCC should use its scarce human and other resources to begin an investigation into PDP finances.
“If EFCC is even-handed and non-partisan, it should also conduct an investigation into other political parties including the ruling party.”
365Daily recalls ta former Commissioner of Information in Edo State, Mr Kazeem Afegbua, had petitioned the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for a probe of the party’s accounts after accusing the leadership of the party led by the National Chairman, Uche Secondus, of embezzling funds realised from the sale of forms in 2019 general elections to the tune of N10 billion.
Afegbua was expelled from the party on Friday, May 21, 2021, by the Edo State chapter of the party over alleged anti-party activities.
However, the party, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, denied the allegation and said it only generated N4.6 billion and not N10 billion from sale of nomination and expression of interest forms in 2019.