With outrage from several quarters concerning alleged Diezani loot,
the PDP has revealed why it has strayed away from publicly commenting on
the issue. National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has said that
it will not comment on several billions of naira and millions of dollars
traced to a former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The former minister, who is a member of the PDP, played a prominent role
in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, especially
in his failed re-election bid.
During the week, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said it
had traced at least N47.2bn and $487.5m in cash and property to the
former minister.
But the spokesperson for the party’s National Caretaker Committee,
Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the former ruling party would not make any
comment on the allegations against Diezani and other members of the
party, who were being tried for corruption.
Adeyeye, at a press briefing at the national headquarters of the party
in Abuja on Friday, said that it was wrong for the anti-corruption
agency to try the suspected looters in the media.
Rather, he said that the commission ought to have taken the matter to court and get the suspects convicted.
He noted that the publicity given to the corruption allegations against
Diezani and others were intended to portray the PDP as a party of
corrupt people.
He said it was wrong for the anti-graft agency to make itself the
investigator, prosecutor and judge, adding that the people with
corruption cases, who had defected to the ruling All Progressives
Congress from the PDP, had been forgiven .
He said, “The only thing you need to do today is to defect to the
APC and all your sins would be forgiven. All APC members are saints and
others are sinners.
“How can the EFCC make allegations and convict us by itself? It is the
one making allegations and it is the one convicting people.
“Until a court of competent jurisdiction pronounces the suspects guilty,
they remain just suspects and innocent as well. So, we won’t talk about
those issues.
“If there is a genuine case against her or any other person, please go
to court and establish that they are corrupt. You can’t just claim that
you have found someone with money you suspect was illegally acquired and
pronounce such person guilty. You need to go to court and establish
it.”
He also said that there was a failed attempt by some people to stop the
PDP Special Non-Elective Convention, scheduled for Saturday (today) in
Abuja, through a court order on Thursday.
He said, “Some people tried to scuttle the convention by using the court, but they failed.”
When asked for details, the party spokesman said since the plot did not succeed, there was no point talking about it.
Adeyeye said no fewer than 3,000 delegates from the 36 states and the
Federal Capital Territory would participate in the non-elective national
convention.
He noted that the convention would also be observed by various foreign
missions and international organisations like the Organisation of
African Unity and the United Nations.
The PDP spokesman said the special convention would be an avenue to
reunite its members after a prolonged leadership crisis in the party.
He said, “We wanted to make it a unity convention, hence we decided
to bring so many people to serve in this committee. Those who were with
the former National Chairman, Senator Alimodu Modu Sheriff, have been
integrated into the convention committee. The policy of no ‘victor, no
vanquished’ has been fully implemented by the caretaker committee.
“We have seen so much enthusiasm by members. The convention will be like
a carnival. Members of the PDP across the country are coming.
“We are expecting over 3,000 delegates. Foreign missions are invited.
International organisations are coming to observe this convention. Our
members in the Diaspora have started arriving.”
– The PUNCH