The national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has asked former President Goodluck Jonathan to clear the air on the $2.1 billion arms deal.
The party in a statement issued through its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Jalo, said Jonathan should explain whether he ordered the release of the $2.1 billion for purchase of arms for the anti-insurgency campaign in the North East or for PDP campaigns.
“Darkness has now come to light, that some people have collected money, not just PDP, we are talking about all those who have collected money from the National Assembly and taken under the guise of campaigning for Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Jonathan is alive, has he ever directed that money for arms should be disbursed for his campaign”, Jalo declared while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Monday.
The PDP deputy spokesperson said he supported the arrest of some PDP members in connection with the arms scandal, stressing that most of them have private companies through which they received the funds and should be held accountable.
He explained that if his boss, Mr Olisa Metuh, had a company and received the money through it that had nothing to do with the PDP. According to him, the money used for PDP campaigns was raised at a dinner held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where supporters of the party made various donations.
“Let us put the records straight. We want anyone of these people that have been accused whether in PDP, APGA or APC to come out and tell us the money he collected he gave it to PDP or to his party. When he was giving this money, was he giving it for Jonathan’s campaign? Whoever is among them should know that this money is not meant for that, it is meant for arms purchase,” he said.
Mr. Jalo stressed that any member of the party who wishes to go and bail any officer of the party in the EFCC net would be doing so in his own individual capacity, adding that those who received the money did it at their own peril.
He also confirmed that PDP is facing leadership crisis following the recent court action taken by Ahmad Gulak challenging the legitimacy of Uche Secondus led National Executive Committee.
“We don’t have national chairman, we don’t have acting chairman and now some people are saying go and bail them, so you are causing more injury to the party and people are looking at the party as party of thieves,” he said.
By Olisemeka Obeche