We can’t even pay salaries - Makarfi denies collecting N50m from Governors

The Ahmed Makarfi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as “a lie from the pit of hell” the allegation that it receives N50m monthly from governors who are members of the party.

Cairo Ojougboh, deputy national chairman of the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the party, had alleged that the national caretaker committee chaired by Makarfi receive N50 monthly from PDP governors as subvention.

He also said the committee was struggling to hold on to the leadership of party for its own benefit.

But in a statement on Monday, Dayo Adeyeye, spokesman of the committee, said the allegation was an unintelligent attempt at blackmail, lamenting the plight of the party in paying staff salaries.

“On alleged N50 million monthly subvention: This is a lie from the pit of hell and a very cheap and unintelligent attempt at blackmail,” he said.

“It is a known fact by all critical stakeholders of the party and even the staff that the national caretaker committee has from inception been hamstrung by inadequate finance, so much so that simple secretariat duties have been a struggle while we have been unable to pay staff salaries of just N18 million a month. Members of the national caretaker committee do not enjoy any remuneration. It is a selfless service.

“It is therefore a figment of his imagination to say that the governors give the national caretaker committee N50 million monthly. The governors are all alive and are free to come forward and declare publicly their level of contributions to the national caretaker committee since May 21st 2016.”

However, Adeyeye said that all members of the party were free to make contributions, and that receiving contributions was not illegal.

“Be that as it may, we want to say that the party belongs to all its members – governors, former governors, national assembly members, former national assembly members, presidents, former president, etc. All of them are free to make contribution to its running as it is not a personal empire of anybody or the national caretaker committee. There is therefore nothing illegal or untoward in receiving contributions from party members,” he said.

“Our only regret is that these contributions have not been forthcoming as expected, giving the heavy weight of responsibilities placed before us and especially the burden of having to deal with distractions caused by Senator Sheriff and his cohorts.”

Adeyeye also said the committee accepted a political solution to the impasse, but that Sheriff rejected it.

“We accepted President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors’ comprehensive political solution. It calls for the resignation of Senator Sheriff and the so called NWC and also the national caretaker committee to create a level playing field for all, and to build trust among all members,” he said.

“The agreement is then to be submitted to the supreme court as the judgment of the court. These would have provided both political and legal solution to the logjam. But Senator Sheriff rejected it, and continue to insist that he would conduct a national convention – when he does not enjoy the trust and confidence of the vast majority of party members. It is therefore very clear who has a personal or hidden agenda.”