Barely 24 hours after launching its campaign, another crisis hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The already hostile situation escalated yesterday as some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) returned N122.4 million rent stipends paid into their accounts.
Some NWC members alleged that they got strange alerts after they joined issues with the party on the whereabouts of over N10 billion realized as nomination fees during the party’s primaries.
Those who have so far returned their emergency stipends were the Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja (N36 million); National Vice Chairman (Southwest) Olusoji Adagunodo (N28,800,000); National Woman Leader Prof. Stella Effah-Attoe (N28,800,000); and National Chairman, Southsouth, Chief Dan Orbih (N28,800,000).
In a September 29, 2022 letter to the National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, Deputy National Chairman (South), Arapaja said he decided to return his share of N36 million because he did not know what it was meant for.
He said he read an alleged “malicious story” that members of the NWC were “offered humongous amount of money to silent(sic) us over an allegation of financial misappropriation to the tune of N15 billion.”
He said: “This led me to browse through my various alerts and I discovered a transfer of N36 million from the party.
“I have my reservation about this money transferred into my account and for personal reasons wish to return it accordingly.”
