A former governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime, says he is not aware of any case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as insinuated in some quarters.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Enugu, Chime however, agreed that he was invited once by the commission in respect of party funds spent during the 2015 general elections.
Mr. Chime was a two-term governor of Enugu State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, between 2007 and 2015.
The former governor, who recently denounced the PDP, described the insinuations as “misplaced and emanating from detractors.’’
“In two months’ time, I would have been two years out of office. I am not aware of any case I have with the EFCC. They invited me once in respect of party funds.
“They wanted to know what happened to the money sent to Enugu PDP by the party headquarters and I went and told them what happened,” he said.
Mr. Chime said that prior to the 2015 general elections, his former party raised funds to prosecute the elections and that part of the funds was availed to state chapters of the party.
He explained that the funds as sent to the state chapter of the party were deployed for the purposes they were meant for.
“I will be glad to see the day I will be prosecuted as a leader of the party in the state for accepting or receiving money from the same PDP, our parent body, to fund our elections.
“We were told the PDP raised about N21 billion for the elections and we got part of it. Would I have funded the elections with state funds?
“If government is now saying the money you got is not from the fundraising of the party but stolen we do not know. Nobody is in a position to verify that,” he said.
Mr. Chime said that if the government had established that the money was stolen “let them catch the people that stole it as that was not the first time we were given money to fund elections.’’
“The American elections have come and gone and we saw how they raised and used money.
“I do not see how you can punish anybody for using party money for the purpose it was meant for,” he said.
The former governor said that his decision to quit the PDP was not in any way connected to the alleged case with the commission.
He admitted being aware of rumours of petitions against him but insisted this was not from the EFCC.
“I have been accused of being the owner of The Polo Malls; I have been accused of being the owner of Park and Shop. I have been accused of being the owner of Golden Royale Hotel.
“I have been accused of being the owner of The Dome and anything good in Enugu but the EFCC has not written me in respect of those other allegations,” Mr. Chime said.
The former governor had on Friday confirmed his dumping of the PDP but had yet to join any other political party.
(NAN)
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