[UPDATED] Crisis: NWC members return N122.4m received from PDP

No fewer than four members of the National Working Committee Peoples Democratic Party have returned N122.4 million paid into their accounts by the main opposition party leader.

There had been media reports that the PDP’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, allegedly paid over N100m to the NWC members after the party’s primaries.

The money was said to be part of the over N10 billion realised by the party from nomination fees paid by aspirants.

The NWC members who returned the money are the National Vice Chairman (South-West) Olasoji Adagunodo, the Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja; National Vice Chairman (South), Chief Dan Orbih and National Women Leader, Prof. Stella Affah-Attoe.

While Arapaja got N36 million, Adagunodo, Orbih and Effah-Attoe got N28.8 million each.

But in a letter to the PDP leadership notifying Ayu of returning the money, Orbi wrote claimed that he was only notified of the payment by his bank without any description.

The letter dated Thursday and sighted by our correspondent read, “My attention has been drawn to a damaging trending story reported in THE NATION Newspaper by Yusuf Alli on September 26, 2022 titled “Disquiet in PDP NW over N10 billion nomination fees.” Amongst several other allegations, he alleged that members of the NWC were offered N28 million to gloss over scandalous financial misappropriation.

“To my shock and surprise, it has been confirmed to me by my bank that the sum of N28, 800,000. (Twenty eight million eight hundred thousand Naira) has been credited to my account by the party. I hereby notify you of my decision to pay back the money to the party’s account.