Kwara PDP exco accuses ex-minister Abubakar of N12m fraud

The former minister of National Planning, Sulaiman Abubakar, has been accused by the Kwara State chapter of the People Democratic Party (PDP) of embezzling the money donated to the party during the last general elections. The minister, according to a member of the state executive of the party, who craved anonymity, defrauded the party of N12m, aside other millions of naira that accrued to it from some donors during the 2015 general elections. According to the source, all efforts to get the minister to account for the money had been futile as he has reportedly shunned all entreaties made to him regarding the issue. The minister has also reportedly refused to answer or acknowledge several calls put across to his line by the party regarding the matter. This medium exclusively gathered that after the last party primaries held at Arca Santa Event Centre, located along Ajase-Ipo road last year, the party had embarked on a fundraising drive to get fund to prosecute the exercise. The effort reportedly led to the donation of over N12m from personalities and high ranking individuals, who occupied key positions in the government of former president Goodluck Jonathan. It was gathered that a top FRSC Marshal, reportedly donated N5m to the minister on behalf of the party while another top financial expert at the CBN also donated N2m. The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Muhammed, also reportedly promised the party N5m during the fundraising that was held in Abuja. But when queried about the fund, the Minister reportedly told the party that he has the right to collect money on behalf of the party as an institution on its own. He was said to have admitted collecting only N7m naira, which he claimed had been expended during the election for the party. To this end, the party reportedly wrote him officially on the issue, which the minister described as an indictment and embarrassment that he will respond to at the appropriate time. Up till now, he has reportedly not done anything in that regard. As a result of the minster’s position, the party, during its last exco meeting held about two weeks ago, had reportedly set up a committee to confront the minister regarding the issue. “After the PDP guber primaries and the emergence of candidates, coupled with the reconciliation that followed, the state chapter of the PDP embarked on a fundraising and got monies from top government functionaries during the tenure of former president Jonathan. “The money was allegedly collected by the former minister, who has refused to account for it despite all the efforts being made by the state exco. “His defence and argument was that his former office gives him the benefit to collect money on the party’s behalf because he is also an institution on behalf of the party and also being the leader of the state. “When Jonathan was appointing him, he was given the mandate to take care of the party in the state but he has done absolutely nothing for the party and even compounded the party’s problem after his emergence. “Since then he has refused to pick calls put to him, including that of the party’s chairman, Iyiola Oyedepo, the source added. Another party source also alleged that the minster was given about N7.5m to take care of security for the general election in the state but only gave them a paltry sum from the money. “During the election, he was also allegedly given N2.5m each for three security parastatals in the state, including FRSC, Civil Defence and others but he only released half a million naira to them and pocketed N2m. “All the money that accrued to the state for the general election was N750m “Now that the election is over, the minister has reportedly abandoned the party and has distanced himself from it.