Accord Party has confirmed receiving N100 million from a former chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tony Anenih, ahead of the 2015 general elections.
The party said it got the money through its national leader, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, who was the party’s governorship candidate in Oyo State.
The party acknowledged the payment in a letter to the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.
The letter, dated January 8, 2016 was signed by the national secretary of the party, Nureni Adisa.
Mr. Anenih is one of several high profile Nigerians discovered to have received payments from a $2.1 billion slush fund, originally meant for the purchase of arms and munitions for the Nigerian Armed Forces to effectively combat the Boko Haram insurgency but which was diverted by the erstwhile National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki.
The former PDP BoT chairman reportedly explained to the EFCC in a letter late last year that he was not a beneficiary of the sum, but that he was instructed by former President Goodluck Jonathan to release the funds to some political groups for mobilisation and post-election peace advocacy.
He stated in a letter to the EFCC that N100 million was given to the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olu Falae, N100 million to the leader of Accord, Mr. Ladoja, and N63 million to a group headed by leader of the Northern Elders Council, Tanko Yakassai.
Confirming receipt of the funds, in the letter titled, ‘Release of One Hundred Million by Chief Tony Anenih’, Mr. Adisa said, “Our attention has been drawn to a newspaper report that the sum of One Hundred Million Naira was released to the ACCORD leader, Senator Rashidi Ladoja by Chief Tony Anenih, the (former) Chairman BoT of the PDP.
“We confirm that the sum of One Hundred Million Naira was given to the party through our leader after series of meetings between the leadership of ACCORD and Chief Tony Anenih in preparation for the 2015 general elections”, said the letter.
Mr. Adisa highlighted three issues discussed at the said meetings, which according to him, led to the release of N100 million to Mr. Ladoja.
“There was need to support the presidential candidate of the PDP since ACCORD had no presidential candidate.
“The need to ensure that peace was maintained to enhance peaceful movement during periods of campaign, elections and after the elections.
“The need for the PDP to support ACCORD campaign effort”, said the letter.
Accordingly, the AP scribe said Mr. Anenih released N100 million “for these purposes through our leader, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja”.
“The money released was accordingly used for the purposes as stated above”, Mr. Adisa added.
