The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new twist yesterday as some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) returned N151 million paid to them as two-year housing allowance.
According to a report by Leadership Newspapers, the NWC members revealed this in separate letters dated September 29 and addressed to the national chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu.
Those who returned the money are deputy national chairman South, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; national woman leader, Prof. Stella Effah-Attoe; national vice chairman South-South, Chief Dan Osi Orbih; national vice chairman, South-East, Dr. Alli Odefa; and national vice chairman, South-West, Hon Olasoji Adagunobi-Oluwatukesi.
The deputy national secretary of the party, Hon Setonji Koshoedo, was also said to have made a refund as well.
Leadership further reports that the committee members claimed that they decided to return the funds following a report in a national daily that monies were disbursed to silence NWC members over the alleged misappropriation of N15 billion belonging to the party.
The money, according to the women leader, was paid into their account on September 14, 2022.
While Arapaja, in his letter dated September 28, 2022, and addressed to the national chairman, said he had returned to the party’s coffers the N36 million paid to him as housing allowance, the four others in their letters refunded N28.8 million each.
Arapaja, in the letter, said: “I observed a malicious story reported in The Nation newspaper of 26th September, 2022, where it was alleged that members of the National Working Committee were offered humongous amounts of money to silence us over an allegation of financial misappropriation to the tune of N15 billion (N15,000,000,000.00).
“This led me to browse through my various alerts, and I discovered a transfer Of Thirty-Six Million Naira (N36,000,000.00) from the party.
“I have my reservation about this money transferred into my account and, for personal reasons, wish to return it accordingly. Kindly confirm the receipt of UBA Electronic Transfer of the Thirty-Six Million Naira (N36,000,000.00) attached herewith”.