The Ogun State Chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Sunday dissociated itself from the N100 million collected by its national leader, Olu Falae from People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Tony Anenih.
The Ogun SDP said contrary to Falae’s claims of distributing the money to state chapters of the party, it did not get any money from him.
Falae had admitted receiving N100 million from Anenih who equally admitted collecting N260m from the Office of the National Security Adviser to pursue the re-election bid of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Investigators in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) believe the money was from the $2.1 billion arms procurement funds which former NSA, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) allegedly diverted.
“It is true I received the money for the party and then it was distributed to the state branches of the party for onward distribution to other levels of the party,” Falae had claimed.
However, the Ogun SDP in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Olu Agemo, and Secretary, Clement Adeniyi, said it was not a party to the deal with the PDP or the distribution of the funds.
According to the statement, the chapter said it was never notified of nor involved in any negotiation to support the PDP or any other party for the purpose of winning the March 28 Presidential election as claimed by Falae.
The statement added that the Ogun state chapter was never informed by the national secretariat of the decision to adopt former President Goodluck Jonathan or any other candidate as the party’s Presidential candidate.
It added that it was never informed of any donation of funds to the party by the PDP or any other party and that it did not receive any financial or campaign assistance from the national secretariat of the party or any of its principal officers.
The Ogun SDP said it declared its sources of campaign finance in the Guardian, Vanguard, Punch and Tribune Newspapers of April 20, before the current revelation.
“We plead with our members and supporters who have received these untoward revelation with great shock to remain calm and await the convocation of a general meeting where these issues shall be thoroughly discussed and appropriate decisions taken.”
“We assure you that the SDP in Ogun will continue to operate within ethical and moral norms as laid out in the principles of progressive welfarism established by our progenitor, Obafemi Awolowo, in the struggle to establish an egalitarian, peaceful and equitable nation,” the statement read in part.
