Campaign funds: SDP debunks Oshiomhole’s claim

The Social Democratic Party (SDP), on Thursday, debunked the statement credited to the Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole that its national chairman, Chief Olu Falae, collected the sum of N300 million from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2015 general elections when the two parties entered into electoral alliance for the reelection of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Thursday, by its national publicity Secretary, Alhaji Alfa Mohammed, declared that the statement credited to the governor at the rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Benin, on Tuesday that Chief Falae collected N300 million election funds from the PDP last year and that he was now having a running battle with the EFCC was false.

“It was false,” saying that it was cheap blackmail and an attempt to win Edo and Ondo states governorship elections fraudulently in favour of APC, knowing that the two states belong to the SDP.

The party stated that the truth of the matter was that the PDP, based on the electoral alliance between the duo, gave it (SDP) N100 million to support its activities through Chief Falae, which had been explained to the appropriate investigating agencies and the public several times, how the money was utilised by the party.

It wondered “what a sitting governor like Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s status may be trying to achieve by distorting facts and lying against an elder statesman like Chief Olu Falae, who has served this country meritoriously in several capacities including the positions of the Managing Director of Nigerian Merchant Bank, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Finance Minister.

The party, therefore, demanded “for an unreserved public apology from Comrade Oshiomhole over this show of shame and black mail within 72 hours, failure which the party will take appropriation legal action against him as soon his tenure ends as he cannot continue to hide under immunity then.”