Former spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, has said that the money paid to members of the party’s national working committee was not a bribe but their legitimate entitlement.
Recall that four members of the party’s NWC recently returned N122.4 million alleging that the money was lodged in their accounts without any explanation.
They alleged that they got strange alerts after they joined issues with the party on the whereabouts of over N10 billion realised as nomination fees during the party’s primaries.
Those who made refunds were the deputy national chairman (south), Mr. Taofeek Arapaja (N36 million); national vice chairman (southwest) Mr. Olusoji Adagunodo (N28, 800,000); national woman leader, Prof. Stella Effah-Attoe (N28, 800,000); and national chairman, south-south, Mr. Dan Orbih (N28, 800,000).
Reacting to the controversy generated by the development, Ologbondiyan who featured as a guest on Arise News described as “totally strange” that the officials claimed they did not know the purpose of the money.
He said “transport and housing allowances” are entitlements of members of the NWC.
“The founders of the PDP created what is known as the establishment profile of the party. And this establishment rule contains the structure of the party and what members can do and cannot do. It is a body of rules guiding the party outside the constitution.
“It is also good to understand that party leaders, who are officers of the party, have no salaries. Their entitlement is in allowances. I know there are housing and transportation allowances.
“Based on my experience, when you assume office as a member of NWC, you must submit your account number to the party’s finance directorate. So whenever your entitlements are ready, they will be paid into your account.
“It is totally strange that any officer of the party will come out and say money was paid into my account and I do not know how the money was paid and the purpose.
“There is no way this issue would not be debated in the NWC with minutes taken. The money is legitimately earned. It is totally strange that people are talking about money legitimately earned as if it was a bribe,” he said.
Earlier, spokesman for the party, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, had said the cash was not a bribe.
He stated that the money was meant for the NWC members’ housing allowance.
“The attention of the NWC of the PDP has been drawn to misrepresenting reports in a section of the media alluding strange and unfounded motives to the housing allowance duly approved and paid to NWC members and staff members of the party.
“The NWC has noted that this misleading report stemmed from an unfounded publication by a particular media outlet which suggested that the housing allowance, an entitlement duly approved and paid to national officials and staff of the party amounted to bribery.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP states in an unequivocal term that no funds were paid into the account of any member of the NWC as a bribe for any purpose whatsoever for that matter.
“To set the record straight, the housing allowance being referred to went through the due process of the party in line with the conditions of service and entitlement of the staff and principal officers of the party.
“If any individual, for any reason decides to return money duly approved and paid, such does not in any way suggest that the money was paid as a bribe or indicate that it was illegitimate or unlawfully paid.
“A bribe is defined as money or any other valuable consideration given or promised with a view to corrupting the behavior of a person, especially in that person’s performance as a public official.
“This is not the case in the payment of housing allowance duly approved for officials and staff of the party.
“The PDP, therefore, urges all members, teeming supporters and the general public to disregard the report and misleading insinuation which are clearly designed to malign the PDP,” he said in a statement.
