DasukiGate: Olu Falae lied; we never got any money – Ogun SDP

The Ogun State Chapter of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, has dissociated itself from the N100 million collected ‎by its national leader, Olu Falae.

The Ogun SDP said contrary to Mr. Falae’s claims of distributing the money to state chapters of the party, it did not get any money from him.

Mr. Falae, the National Chairman of the SDP, admitted receiving N100 million from the ex-chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples democratic Party, PDP, Tony Anenih.

The money is believed by federal investigators to be part of the $2.1 billion arms fund allegedly misappropriated by Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser.

Mr. Falae, a former Nigerian Finance Minister, told PREMIUM TIMES that the money was for him and his party to support the ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid last March.

“It is true I received the money for the party and then it was distributed to the state branches of the party for onward distribution to other levels of the party,” he said.

However, the Ogun SDP in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Olu Agemo, and Secretary, Clement Adeniyi, said it was not a party to the deal with the PDP or the distribution of the funds.

The chapter said it was never notified of nor involved in any negotiation to partner with the PDP or any other party for the purpose of winning the March elections or maintaining peace during the period as claimed by Mr. Falae.

The statement added that the chapter was never informed by the national secretariat of the decision to adopt former President Goodluck Jonathan or any other candidate as the party’s presidential candidate.

It added that it was never informed of any donation of funds to the party by the PDP or any other party and that it did not receive any financial or campaign assistance from the national secretariat of the party or any of its principal officers.

The Ogun SDP said it declared its sources of campaign finance in the Guardian, Vanguard, Punch and Tribune Newspapers of April 20, before the current revelation.

“We plead with our members and supporters who have received these untoward revelation with great shock to remain calm and await the convocation of a general meeting where these issues shall be thoroughly discussed and appropriate decisions taken,” the statement said.

“We assure you that the SDP in Ogun will continue to operate within ethical and moral norms as laid out in the principles of progressive welfarism established by our progenitor, Obafemi Awolowo, in the struggle to establish an egalitarian, peaceful and equitable nation.”

Mr. Dasuki and several other former political leaders and their relatives are currently being prosecuted for the $2.1 billion arms scandal now known as Dasukigate. Several others, like Messrs. Falae and Anenih, as well as the PDP spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, are also being investigated for their alleged roles in the scam.