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PDP Chairman Accused of wanting to Defraud Senate President
The PDP National Secretary, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, speaking
to pressmen on the accusation leveled against the National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Audu Ogbeh for requesting N120 million-retreat funds from the Senate President has dissociated the party of any involvement in the botched fraud.
Chief Audu Ogbeh had asked the Senate President to source N120 million for the hosting of a PDP leaders’ retreat in Calabar.
Prince Ogbulafor said Chief Ogbeh acted unilaterally in
requesting for the money, without the consent of the party leaders. He said neither he nor the National Working Committee of the party
knew about the request. “To be frank with you I read it in
the papers just as you did.
I am not even aware that it was discussed in any of our meetings.
In fact, I was very surprised when I read that such a weighty matter would have gone to the press without the knowledge of the National Working Committee.
Meanwhile, President Obasanjo has intervenrf in the dispute between the two party leaders.
The President, it was gathered, summoned the party’s National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh and the National Secretary, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor to the Presidential Villa in Abuja Tuesday, July 2, and advised them to be cautious of the negative effect the
controversy could have on the party.
Though the details of the outcome of the meeting of the two party
leaders with the President were not made public, both of them told reporters that they were satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.
E
xonerating the PDP National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh from
allegation of corruption in his running feud with Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim over his alleged request for N120 million, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and House of Representatives caucus have both passed a vote of confidence on Chief
Ogbeh.
The NWC even went further to asked Anyim to appear before it to explain his stance on the allegation.
The NWC in a controversial twist, also condemned the party’s National Secretary, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor for maintaining ignorance of the retreat budget, which was collectively agreed upon and for which Ogbeh requested the N120 million.
Demanding that
Ogbulafor apologize to Ogbeh and the party or face disciplinary action.
In
another dimension,
the All Peoples Party (APP) caucus in the Senate has called on President Obasanjo to send Ogbeh to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) or order his arraignment in the court by the police in the spirit of his administration’s fight against
corruption.
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