Ayu Vows To Probe Past PDP Administrations Over Unaccounted N11.8 Billion

The incoming National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu, on Thursday sent a strong message to the past National Working Committees (NWCs) of the party that it would not be business as usual.

Ayu's position was predicated on the alarm raised during the 2-day retreat organized for the newly-elected NWC.

The former National Chairman of the party, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, had during the retreat while presenting a paper titled, “Political Party Funding,” said that accountability and transparency in the management of party funds seem to have been misplaced, adding that the N11.8 billion he left in the party’s account couldn't be accounted for.

Recall that Nwodo who led the party briefly in 2010 was succeeded by an acting National Chairman, Haliru Bello, then Abubakar Kawu Baraje before Bamanga Tukur took over in 2012.

Prince Uche Secondus took over in acting capacity in 2014, before Adamu Muazu who was succeeded by former Borno State Governor, Ali Madu Sheriff and then former Kaduna State Governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi before the second coming of Prince Uche Secondus in 2017.

Nwodo said: “Today we seem to have lost it. I handed over eleven billion in fixed deposit and eight hundred million in current account when I left as National Chairman after seven months. I don’t see what was done with that money.

"Millions were raised to finish our National Headquarters; we don’t seem to have a trace of where all that money went. Our headquarters is yet to be completed.

"Today, we don’t even have a party account. We have to get back to strict monitoring of our party accounts.

“Our internal audit department needs to be strengthened and supported by the party leadership.

"Very strict sanctions must be imposed on mismanagement of party funds. I suggest that we include inviting EFCC to probe earing officers and members and prosecution of those found culpable. This is the only way to create a deterrent."

Fielding questions from newsmen shortly after reading the communique of the 2-day retreat, Ayu said, “By the time we come to the office, accountability will remain our watchword and I want to assure all of you that we will run the PDP administration as transparently as possible.

“The outgoing NWC has set up different committees to look into different areas. We shall take up all the reports, review them, look at the facts and then attend to each issue according to the facts available to us.

“I want to assure you that we shall try to clean our house no matter who is going to be affected.

"We shall try to clean our house following due process and that due process also includes exhausting all internal conflict resolving mechanism before we bring in any external intervention when we cannot resolve the issue.”

On the planned increase of petroleum pump price, Ayu said that PDP does not believe in visiting more hardship on the Nigerian people.

“The party has not discussed the issue of increase in petroleum prices but our general position is that the people of Nigeria are already hard-pressed, there is so much hardship.

“If you are poor, you are not going to benefit from what is called petroleum subsidy."