PDP denies spending N8.7b for presidential campaign

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected reports that it spent about N8.7 billion for the 2015 presidential election campaigns.

It alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) might have made inputs into the report and challenged Centre for Social Justice (CSJ),‎ the authors, to show proof that it was authentic and reliable.‎‎

In another development, PDP’s Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said the party was taking steps measures to stop wealthy persons from hijacking the party as the leadership was desirous to return the party to the ordinary people.

CSJ had in Abuja on Tuesday, ‎said that its research into party finances and expenses particularly for the 2015 presidential election campaigns showed that the PDP and the APC jointly spent about N11.6 billion in the exercise.

It said while the PDP spent N8.7 billion or 82 per cent of the total amount, the APC spent N2.9 billion representing 20 per cent of the total amount at the campaigns.‎
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Responding to inquiries from The Guardian, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh‎ said: “The figure is very subjective because the authors could not show how they arrived at what they published. And I do not know how they arrived at the figure unless they got it from the APC. The authors of the figure should show proof that it is genuine.”

“Furthermore, as the spokesman of the PDP, I cannot talk on the presidential campaign funds because I was not directly involved in the management of campaigns funds at that time.” ‎