Crisis is currently rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over N20 million party funds allegedly diverted by the leadership of the party.
The amount, which was part of the money released for the state chapter by the national headquarters of the party to prosecute the last primaries, was allegedly diverted by the party chairman, Mr. Yunana Illiya, and state secretary, Adamu Onyaki, in collaboration with the party’s state treasurer, Abel Yakubu.
The said amount, according to the document obtained by LEADERSHIP in Abuja, was withdrawn in two instalments of N10 million on the same day through Diamond Bank cheque leaflets belonging to the party.
The two cheque leaflets with numbers 23298453 and 23298452 respectively and dated 18/10 2010, bears the name of Abel Yakubu Bala and were counter-signed by the state chairman of the party and secretary.
The issue became public knowledge when a former staff of Diamond Bank, Rose Abimiku, approached a Nasarawa State magistrate court, urging it to issue a criminal summons on the party officials and one Abubakar Waziri, a cashier with the Doma Local Government Area, as well as the council itself for “criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation, insult and annoyance, cheating, punishable under section 97, 397, 400, 322 of the penal code”.
In the application for summons filed before the court, the complainant averred that sometime in October, 2010 the secretary and the chairman of the party, who are the 1st and 2nd accused persons, made an agreement with Doma LGA, the 5th? accused, to lend the council the sum of N20 million to enable it to pay workers salaries for the month of October.
The 1st and 2nd accused persons met with the complainant and pleaded with her that since they were politicians, they will not want to let out their identity and that she help play the role of a middleman to deliver the said sum to the council.
The secretary and the chairman allegedly gave the sum of N20million to the treasurer to deliver same to the complainant for onward delivery to the council through its cashier, Mr Abubakar Wazirir on October 19, 2010 and made a written memorandum of understanding evidencing the receipt of the said sum.
On the same day, the council issued two Unity Bank cheques number 05771648 and 05771649 in the name of the cashier to enable him withdraw the said sum and refund it through the complainant.
The cheques were alleged to have bounced when the complainant and the cashier went to the bank to cash them subsequently.