How Agbaje Hijacked Cash Despatched For Campaigns — PDP

Jimi Agbaje

The Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP) in Lagos State has accused Jimi Agbaje, its governorship candidate within the just-concluded normal election, of allegedly hijacking funds meant for the prosecution of the elections within the state.

The celebration mentioned the governorship candidate’s motion contributed considerably to its disastrous efficiency within the state.

Talking in an unique interview with Day by day Unbiased, Dr. Adegbola Dominic, the state chairman of the celebration, additionally accused Agbaje of flagrant disregard for celebration guidelines and its management, together with the apex chief of the celebration, Chief Olabode George.

Reacting to the assertion made by Agbaje final week that he was being attacked for failing to share cash meant for the elections with celebration leaders, Dominic mentioned apart fraudulently acquiring the cash with out the information of the celebration leaders, Agbaje had been unable to account for a way he disbursed the cash.

In keeping with him, the celebration’s presidential candidate within the final election, Atiku Abubakar, had despatched one in every of his aides to deliver the cash to Lagos and hand it over to 6 individuals, together with Agbaje, the state chairman (Dominic), Chief Olabode George, a consultant of the senatorial candidates, and two Home of Representatives candidates.

He added that Chief George, nevertheless, declined to be a part of the method, asking the opposite 5 individuals to make sure the cash was judiciously used for the aim it was meant.

The state chairman mentioned whereas the opposite representatives assembled on the agreed location to attend for the aide and Agbaje, Agbaje had, unknown to them, made one other association with the aide despatched to ship the cash and acquired it with out informing anyone, together with the celebration chairman.

“I didn’t need to speak in regards to the challenge of cash as a result of I don’t like getting myself concerned in points like that, based mostly on my report of integrity.

“However this was a presidential election. It has nothing to do with Jimi Agbaje. Solely the presidential candidate and Nationwide Meeting candidates have been concerned in that election held on February 23.

“The funding got here from the presidential candidate of the celebration himself for his personal election. Because the state chairman of the celebration, I used to be known as by one of many aides of our presidential candidate who mentioned I ought to meet him at a location in Lagos as a result of he had some cash to provide us for the election.
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“He informed me that he was instructed to handover the cash to the governorship candidate, the state chairman, a consultant of the senatorial candidates, and two representatives of our Home of Reps candidates. He requested me to name the opposite individuals which I did, and we met on the resort the place he lodged.

“We needed to break as a result of on that night time, President Buhari was going to make a broadcast to the nation and we feared that he may postpone the election. So, we deferred our assembly until after the published.

“By the point we obtained again to our assembly place, after we found that the election is not going to be postponed, we didn’t meet Jimi Agbaje.

“I used to be there with the state publicity secretary and two different individuals. The man who was at hand over the cash to us had informed us Jimi Agbaje will quickly be round.

“So, all of us saved ready. After some hours, I needed to name the guy that we had been ready for greater than three hours with out him or Agbaje in sight.

“He now informed me that he was sorry, that he didn’t know we have been nonetheless ready and that he had handed over the cash to Jimi Agbaje.

“I said all these through the open assembly that Agbaje was speaking about and he couldn’t refute my declare. All of us can see guilt written on his face that day.

“The person who introduced the cash mentioned he was instructed to handover the cash to 5 of us, together with our chief, Chief Bode George, who mentioned that he didn’t need to have something to do with the cash, that we should always go and kind it out and use it for the aim it was meant. However now, he was telling me that he had handed over the cash to Agbaje and that he had gone.

“After I known as Agbaje, he informed me he was in one other resort disbursing the cash, with out the state chairman’s information and different leaders of the celebration.

“He simply known as in 24 Home of Reps candidates, about 24 of them, and gave them what happy him after he had saved a bigger share of the cash to himself.

“I’m suspecting there was a deal between him and the guy who introduced the cash, as a result of in case you are instructed at hand over the cash to 6 individuals, why will you hand it over to only one particular person?

“That is cash for election marketing campaign and celebration leaders must be concerned, however Jimi Agbaje personally shared the cash the best way he appreciated.”

Dominic, who mentioned lots of the celebration brokers refused to defend the celebration’s votes through the elections, mentioned whereas Agbaje was unable to account for the cash, a number of the brokers who labored for the celebration have been nonetheless searching for him immediately to pay them for job completed.

“Until now, we don’t understand how a lot he took for himself and we don’t understand how a lot he gave out.

“He claimed someone instructed him to disburse the cash the best way he appreciated however he refused to say the identify of that particular person. We all know that it’s not true.

“There should have been a deal between him and the guy who introduced the cash. Now, I requested him to provide us a breakdown of the quantity he shared for report functions, up until immediately, he can’t render an account.

“From feelers we obtained, he saved one-third of the cash for himself and he distributed the rest,” Dominic mentioned.

Talking additional, he mentioned Agbaje by no means invited him to any of his outings regardless of his place because the celebration chairman within the state.

He mentioned: “We had a governorship candidate who simply determined to do issues his personal means. He ignored the celebration fully.

“I, because the celebration chairman within the state, was by no means invited to even a single outing of the governorship candidate. I didn’t know what he was doing and his plans. He didn’t carry anyone alongside within the mainstream of the celebration.

“Agbaje appears to have his personal league of associates who’re going about with him. He didn’t maintain a single rally, and the celebration too didn’t maintain any rally as a result of the governorship candidate believed that rallies weren’t vital.

“He saved on sneaking into areas within the identify of holding city corridor conferences. I’m from Alimosho Native Authorities Space. Because the celebration chairman, I used to be knowledgeable that Jimi Agbaje, our governorship candidate, had crept into the native authorities (space) and was holding a city corridor assembly.

“Truthfully, I didn’t know something in regards to the assembly till some celebration members phoned me, asking me if I used to be conscious.

“The city corridor assembly was scantily attended as a result of the mainstream of the celebration and members weren’t conscious. That’s what occurred throughout the 20 native authorities areas within the state.”

Nonetheless, in his response, Agbaje, who admitted that he acquired the funds, mentioned he had no cause to render any account of how the funds have been disbursed to the celebration as a result of the celebration didn’t give him the cash, within the first place.

He mentioned he had rendered the account to the one who gave out the cash and that the particular person was happy with how the funds have been disbursed.

“The state chairman was not the one who gave me the cash. It wasn’t the celebration who gave me the cash.

“So, why ought to I render an account to Dominic or some other particular person? I’ve rendered an account to the one who gave me the cash, and that’s what issues. All people who collected the cash signed for it and the report has been given to the proprietor of the cash.

“I said it in my press launch final week that an account has been rendered totally to the one who gave me the cash, and he’s happy,” Agbaje mentioned.

Agbaje, who restated his dedication to the PDP, additionally threatened to take authorized actions in opposition to the celebration leaders in the event that they continued to tarnish his picture.

“In the event that they proceed maligning me, I may take it up legally with them as a result of I cannot permit them to proceed tarnishing my identify,” he mentioned.