National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Adamu Mu’azu, popularly called “Game Changer” and his Deputy, Chief Uche Secondus are currently at loggerhead over $200 Million (Two Hundred Million Dollars) bribe from several aspirants seeking the party’s ticket.
Mu’azu, the former Governor of Bauchi State, who took over the helms of affairs of the PDP from Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, allegedly collected $200 Million from several aspirants seeking the Party’s ticket and did not share with his Deputy.
It was gathered from some aggrieved Aspirants who did not clinch the PDP tickets that Governorship and National Assembly Aspirants paid as much as $10 Million to the Chairman as fees to facilitate the picking of preferred Delegates and electoral officers.
The National Chairman allegedly failed to deliver on his promises after pocketing the huge sums.
Ndudi Eleumelu, a Governorship Aspirant in Delta State paid a whooping N750 Million and the case ended up with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
It was gathered that the issue came to the fore when some of the PDP aspirants complained to President Goodluck Jonathan about how they were defrauded having paid huge sums for the PDP ticket and yet could not secure the party’s flag.
Irked by the revelations from the Aspirants who recently met with him, the President had summoned the PDP hierarchy.
It was further learnt that the President was particularly
miffed after he had received a complain from General T.Y Danjuma who had complained that few days before the Governorship Primaries in Taraba State, he had received words that after paying huge sums for his candidate, the National Chairman was making clandestine moves to deny his candidate the ticket.
It is not immediately known how much the retired General dolled out for his candidate. But sources said that the amount was
huge and that the former Defence Minister had threatened to go to the press.
However, at the meeting with the President, sources confirmed that Party officials were shocked that the National Chairman had collected such huge sums without their knowledge.
Deputy National Chairman, Chief Secondus was particularly angered that he has severally suffered short-change from the National Chairman and vowed to take a pound of flesh.
At the end of the meeting, we gathered that the President immediately directed that anyone who had collected money from any aspirants should as a matter of urgency return same.
A candidate from Delta State confirmed that he has
since been refunded almost N1Billion he dolled out to the Party hierarchy.
It is not known yet if all the Aspirants who paid for tickets have been refunded.
Up till the time of going to press, the National Chairman and his Deputy do not speak to each other.
According to a source at the Party National Headquarters in Abuja, “It is hard to reconcile both leaders now because of the campaigns now. Perhaps after the campaign, the leadership of the party will meet and reconcile them,” a source privy to the development said.
The source added, “that is what has been happening here since 1999. Aspirants always pay. Mu’azu is not the first even if he is removed today; any other person who takes over will do the same. They all collect money. Even Secondus who is complaining today has been collecting.”
Efforts to reach both men were not successful as their phones were bothswitched off.
