Following the arrest of some national executive officers of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in relation to the now popular $2.1 billion arms deal scam, some national officials of the party has called for the immediate resignation of those involved.
PDP headquaters
Those urged to step down from their office include the acting chairman of the board of trustees, Bello Mohammed and the national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh.
Those calling for the resignation of the officers are Dennis Alonge-Niyi, the deputy national youth leader; Bashir Maidugu, the deputy national legal adviser; Okey Nnaedozie, the deputy national organizing secretary and Abdullahi Jalo, the deputy national publicity secretary.
In a statement issued by the four party officers, they said, “We hereby strongly dissociate the Peoples Democratic Party from the ongoing trials of Dr. Bello Halliru Mohammed ( Acting Chairman of Board of Trustees) and Chief Olisa Metuh ( National Publicity Secretary) on various charges anti graft agencies.
“They are said to have received funds using accounts of their private companies without the knowledge and instructions of any organ of the party. All those mentioned in the ongoing corruption trial are, therefore, on their own and the party was not involved financially or in anyway with the office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, or any organ of the federal government in the last regime.
“They must bear full responsibility for their actions and must henceforth refrain from dragging the name of the party into the mud.”
Also, the four national executive members of the party also called for the resignation of its acting national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.
Recall that Mr Secondus became acting chairman after Ahmadu Muazu resigned his position following the defeat of the party in the last general election.
“This is a declaratory ruling where no order of stay of execution from any other court has been granted. The NEC must do the needful by selecting a suitable national chairman from the north east to complete their tenure in accordance with our tradition and the party’s constitution.
“In pursuance of this therefore, Prince Uche Secondus should revert back to his constitutional position of Deputy National Chairman of the party as a matter of urgency,” they said.
They also called on the national executive council to order a proper audit of the finances of the PDP by certified external auditors. They said the audit period should be from March 2012 to date.
“All committees set up by the irregularly constituted national working committee should be dissolved and new committees constituted by NEC in good faith and the general interest of the party.
“Finally, we urge the National Caucus and the Board of Trustees as a matter of urgency to convene a meeting of NEC to address all these burning issues. Any further delay will exacerbate the situation,” they said.
Meanwhile, Deji Adeyanju, the director on new media to PDP has alleged that there is a plot by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to assassinate him and other social media critics.
