The attention of the office of the National Financial Secretary (NFS), Peoples Democratic Party has been drawn to a misleading and malicious article published today, Monday 19th July 2021 by One Ibrahim Tsafe.
Among other very false and misleading claims, he alleged that the funds meant for the payment of party members who went to conduct the various Congresses (Electoral Officers) preceding the Gubernatorial Primary were diverted. Further, Ibrahim Tsafe alleged that the National Treasurer “has repeatedly denied (of) hoarding any money belonging to electoral officers for the Anambra primary election”.
The NFS, and indeed the office of the NFS, takes the contents and conclusions of this misleading article very seriously.
We are thus compelled for the sake of posterity to state the facts as follows:
- ALL purchases/ sales / payments with respect to the Anambra State Gubernatorial Nomniation and Expression of Interest forms were recieved as Bank Managers Cheque (Bank Drafts),
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After the sales of forms, a meeting of the National Working Committee approved and directed the release and handover of ALL the Bank drafts to the National Treasurer. This was implemented by the NFS through the Head, Budget, Assets and Revenue (BAR) Unit of the Party and duly acknowledged by the National Treasurer.
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The NWC further authorised the NFS; in line with his Statutory responsibility to initiate budgetary procedures for the funds. A Short Term Expenditure Breakdown (Budget) was developed, presented and exhaustively deliberated by the NWC. The discussion with reference to this Budget took 3 meetings of the NWC before it was finally approved after various levels of amendments,
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In line with the Constitution of the PDP, the NFS, on behalf of the NWC tabled the Budget before the 91st Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on April 29th, 2021. NEC approved the budget for implementation,
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For clarity and emphasis, the NFS is not a Signatory to the accounts of the Party and has never signed banking instruments on behalf of the Party. The signatories and accounting officers of the Party is clearly enshrined in Section 51. 3 (a-c) of the PDP Constitution,
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For the avoidance of doubt, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Hussaini MaiBasira has never personally warehoused funds of the party in fixed, savings, or current deposits and is not in possession of any money realised from the Anambra primaries or any other source as falsely claimed,
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The approved details and instruments of financial expenditure was approved by NEC on 29th April, 2021 in line with the Constitution,
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All enquiries or challenges relating to any payment either of the Anambra Electoral Officers or of any kind should be referred to the appropriate accounting officer(s),
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Having served in various capacities in the youth movements, the NFS still remains at the vanguard and relentless in promoting the cause of young people nationwide.
Signed:
Sulaiman Musa Ahmed
Technical Assistant to the NFS.