PDP Chairman, Ayu Inherits N20M Cash, N290M Debt, Crises In 9 States

There are indications that the immediate Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) handed over N20 million and a debt of not less than N290 million to the new leadership led by Senator Iyorchia Ayu as well as crises in some state chapters.

“At the moment, I cannot say precisely the exact amount, but I know the NWC handed over N20 something million to the new leadership,” a member of the PDP NEC told Daily Sun.

However, a staff at the PDP national secretariat, Abuja, told Daily Sun that the immediate past NWC left a liability of N290 million unpaid staff housing allowance for the new leadership. He stated that the housing allowance is for 2020 and 2021.

He explained that cumulatively, establishment staff and personal staff of the immediate PDP leadership, were entitled N145 million per annum as housing allowance.

According to him, few weeks ago, the immediate past acting national chairman, Yemi Akinwonmi, had sought and got the approval of the PDP Governors Forum to pay at least one year of the housing allowance. Nevertheless, the staff claimed the payment was scuttled by members of the NWC.

“The housing allowance of both personal staff of the NWC members and establishment staff for a year is N145 million. The last effort that the acting chairman made, before he left, was that he went to the governors, met with them because they still have money from the sales of forms. He got approval to pay at least one year. But when he came back and tabled it before the NWC, the members countered it.”

Similarly, Daily Sun gathered that the new leadership is inheriting crisis in no fewer than nine state chapters as well as the North West chapter. There are concerns amongst party chieftains over raging crisis in some state chapters of the PDP and its likely implications for the opposition party ahead of the 2023 polls. The affected states are Edo, Anambra, Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Niger, Kebbi and Kano states and the entire North West chapter.

In Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki is locked in a supremacy tussle with the PDP national vice chairman, Dan Orbih, for the control of party structure in the state.

In Ekiti State, party members are divided between former governor, Ayo Fayose and his former deputy, Senator Biodun Olujimi while in Kano, former governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso is squared up against former minister of foreign affairs, Aminu Wali, over control of the structure of the party.

Similarly, in Niger State, the former governor, Babangida Aliyu is up against the immediate past PDP national financial secretary, Abdulahi Mai-Basira

In Lagos, the PDP is torn between Chief Olabode George and Deji Doherty while in Oyo State, the party is fictionalised between Governor Seyi Makinde and former leader, House of Representatives, Mulikat Akande-Adeola.
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Daily Sun gathered that in the Anambra, Osun and Kebbi chapters o, what exist is a peace of the graveyard as chieftains battle for supremacy. The ‘war’ in the Kano State chapter of the PDP has made it difficult for the opposition party to hold its congress in the zone.

It was also gathered that although there is currently a semblance of peace in the South West chapter, the tussle for party structure in the various states iis giving party leaders concerns.

Meanwhile, with the inauguration of a new NWC for the PDP, focus has shifted to the zoning for the 2023 presidential ticket.

At its 94th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, on October 7, the PDP opened discussion on the the report of the Governor Bala Mohammed Committee, which dealth with zoning of the 2023 presidential ticket.

The Bala Committee had recommended that the presidential ticket should be thrown open to all interested aspirants.

THE SUN NEWS