The Imo State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the defected seven erstwhile members of the state working committee (SWC) of the party had hurriedly defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to avoid accounting for the presidential campaign funds in their care.

The party also dismissed the allegations of the erstwhile SWC members against the National Secretary and the Gubernatorial candidate of the Party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu Dear National Secretary and Governorship Candidate, Senator Samuel as mere figments of their imagination and that these characters are merely attempting to blackmail the party into stopping the ongoing investigation for financial misappropriation and election sabotage levelled against them.

The Financial Secretary of Party Bedewell Ejimadu, who stated this on Monday evening said that the seven members of the executives of the PDP, who resigned last Sunday, did so because they were afraid not to be indicted by the committee report, on the alleged mismanagement of the 2023 Presidential campaign fund of over alleged N1.4billion.

Ejimadu made this known to newsmen in Owerri, alongside other party executives, at the party secretariat, located at Okigwe Road in the state capital.

He alleged that; “They are just trying to run away from being indicted but that will not save them. The report will soon be completed and made known to the public.

“Among the issue is the over N1.4 billion campaign fund sent to Imo state during the presidential campaign in the state. The money has remained unaccounted for, a committee was set up and investigated the way the monies coming into the party were spent and before you know it they resigned their positions in the party.

“I want to say this, my office as the financial secretary did not receive any money because some people who felt they are bigger than the party usurped my position and they misappropriated party funds,” he added.

Continuing, “It may interest you to know that already, preliminary investigations show that, some agents of our party that were recruited and forwarded toINEC by the Deputy Chairman, Sir Martin Ejiogu and Nze Ray Emeana the State Secretary for the last Presidential and National Assembly elections in some areas were Apc members, this seriously hampered the availability of much-needed result sheets that some of our candidates at the tribunal need to recover their stolen mandates, today these same men have joined APC.

“Also, it is regrettable to state that as the Financial Secretary of the party in the state, I have no records of any financial dealings by the party, all proceeds from the sale of nomination forms, the sale of party cards, annual dues, levies and donations running into over N600m that have accrued to the party in the last three years are only known to the state secretary, Deputy Chairman and treasurer, who are among these defectors.

“The party in the state received over N1.4 billion naira from donations and candidates’ contributions for the last Presidential and National Assembly elections, this money was appropriated by Rt Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Nze Ray Emeana and Martin Ejiogu without the input or knowledge of the committee on finance of the presidential campaign council which I was the secretary, the manner of the distribution and utilization of these funds are a subject of an investigation by the party and we will stop at nothing to unravel how a major portion of these funds developed wings.

“We want to state categorically that no measure of blackmail or defection will stop the ongoing investigation and if they are found culpable, surely they will be handed over to the security agencies for prosecution,” he added.

Ejimadu also disclosed that it was not true that the National Secretary was not funding the party as candidate and leader of the party.

”These renegades also claimed that the National Secretary wasn’t funding the party as the candidate and leader of the party in the state, and we now ask when has it become the duty of the leader of the party to solely fund the party, we are all aware that in the recent past when Rt. Hon. Ihedioha was the leader of our party in the state he never funded the party but rather the leadership of the party approached and encouraged leaders of the party to assist in funding the party.

“To further debunk this allegation, here are bank receipts and some due acknowledgements of monies sent by Senator Anyanwu in the last year for payment of Staff salaries, payment of office rent, donations and sponsorship of party programmes and activities, if added to cash donations and contributions to the party are in excess of N100m.

“As you can see, most of these funds passed through the account of the defecting State Secretary of the party, who in one breath receives huge sums for the party from Senator Anyanwu and turns around to lie against the senator,” he said.

The party also clarified that it is not against the constitution of the party for Senator Anyanwu who is currently the National Secretary of the party and also the governorship candidate of the party at the same.

“Please make your findings there is neither any provision in our Party Constitution, Electoral Guidelines or Electoral Law that precludes Distinguished Senator Anyanwu from holding both positions, moreover current precedents show that the current deputy National Publicity Secretary of our party Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulahi was the deputy Governorship Candidate of our party in Kebbi State in the last Gubernatorial election and still sits on the National Working Committee till date, also the current governor of Zamfara state was the State Chairman of PDP in Zamfara State during the last election and only relinquished his position in the party after being sworn in as governor of Zamfara State in line with the extant laws.”

“We want to categorically state that these individuals that left have not affected the popularity or electoral value of our party in any way, the party is ever strong and increasing numerically and in stature with the recent entrance of a deluge of supporters thronging into our party in Imo daily.

“We hereby want to reassure our teeming supporters and Imolites that our party and candidate are well on course to take Imo back on the path to economic and social prosperity by making Imo Safe Again,” the party clarified.(Daily Sun)