Nicholas Ojo, Abuja correspondent,
The spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, on Saturday reacted to the claim by the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, that the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in 2021 asked him to borrow N1 billion.
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Ayu, on Friday, denied recurring claims by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State that he collected N1bn from a presidential aspirant.
Ayu had on Friday said he never collected N1bn from anyone and that when he assumed office as the chairman and needed to raise money for the party, former Vice-President and now the party’s presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, suggested that the party should take a loan of N1bn but that after deliberations, the National Working Committee rejected the idea.
He said he refrained from commenting on Wike’s allegations against him to avoid public altercations that could complicate matters for the party.
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The PDP National Chairman who made this known while reacting to allegations leveled against him by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said after due consideration, Atiku’s suggestion was turned down, saying he has never collected N1 billion from anybody, as claimed by Wike.
“When we came in, and the party had funding difficulties, the current presidential candidate suggested that the party should take a loan of N1bn from a bank.
“And the owner of that bank was also an influential member of this party. He has left the party now. But when we discussed with him, we discarded the idea”, he said.
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However, Keyamo, in a tweet on his official Twitter handle, recalled PDP’s attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari’s government over borrowing, declaring that the problem with the main opposition party “is their hypocrisy.”
“Nigerians should see the same party that complains about the fact that we borrow in some cases to fund infrastructure.
“They have not even won an election, they are suggesting taking loans to run their party! The problem with the PDP is their hypocrisy that stinks to high heavens,” he tweeted.