Presidential Poll: Crisis Looms In Lagos PDP Over N200m Election Funds

Aside the poor outing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State in the just concluded general election, the party is facing a bigger crisis alleged mismanagement of N200 million meant for the presidential election.

Sources privy to the in- formation alleged that the N200 million disbursed to the state chapter for the Presidential and National Assembly elections were mismanaged by those in charge of the money.

The source attributed the party’s poor outing in the state to the alleged mismanagement. It was learnt that some of the issues the money was meant to address were abandoned, with many party members not mobilised to carry out their door-to-door campaign.

New Telegraph notes that in the presidential and governorship elections in the state, the party placed a distant third, behind the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party.

The party also failed to win any seat in both the National Assembly and State House of Assembly. A source in the party told New Telegraph that the money, specifically meant to pay for canvassers, mobilisers and party agents, was mismanaged by some members of the Presidential Campaign Council in the state.

New Telegraph also learnt that most of the party agents were short changed with many of them receiving between N5000 and N7000 instead of the N10, 000 agreed by the party in its last meeting before the election.

The source also alleged that some of the people that allegedly embezzled the election funds have defected to the ruling APC in the state as cover for their crime.

The source said: “Some- body said he is the chair- man of the Presidential Campaign Council in Lagos and he worked against Atiku Abubakar in the election. And, as I speak to you, whooping thousands of dollars are still with this person unaccounted for. And the money is meant to be used for the presidential and National Assembly elections. “The party is preparing to notify the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but they have been reported at the nation- al secretariat in Abuja and actions are going on. If they like, let them run from APC to any other party, they will answer and account for that money.

“It doesn’t matter if they have defected to APC or not, but very clearly, two of them notably declared openly that they are in APC. But their kingpin is still covering his defection in secrecy. But that money must be accounted for. “At the appropriate time, we will tell Nigerians how these people embezzled the money in Lagos but the necessary step has been taken with the EFCC already in the know and they will swing into action any moment from now.

“They must account for that money because it was meant for the mobilisation of the election. On the day of the presidential and National Assembly elections, there was nothing like money for mobilisations, no money for canvassers and even the party agents were not properly paid. Of the party agents that were expected to pay N10, 000, some were paid N7000 while others received N5000.

“So the real problem there was the people in charge of the funds and they must come and tell us and the party at the national level what they did with that fund. The remaining funds in their hands must be accounted for. They must tell the PDP in Lagos what the money is still doing in their hands four weeks after the presidential election.”

When contacted, the spokesman of the Lagos State PCC, Taofik Gani, said he can’t speak on the matter because of the Holy Month of Ramadan. In response to a text message sent to his phone, he said: “I try to steer clear of politics during the Holy Month of Ramadan. I hope you can bear it?” On his part, the spokes- man of Lagos PDP, Hakeem Amode, said he is not aware of the development and cannot speak on the mat- ter because he is not the spokesperson of the PCC in the state.