PDP disowns Jalo on call for Jonathan to speak up

P eoples Democratic Party (PDP) Acting National
Chairman Prince Uche Secondus has denied that
the party asked former President Goodluck
Jonathan to open up on the $2.1 billion arms
scandal.
About 12 prominent PDP chieftains, including a
former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki,
are standing trial for their role in the sharing of
the money meant for arms procurement under
the Jonathan administration.
The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary,
Abdullahi Jalo, had at a press briefing on
Monday, called on Jonathan to respond to the
claims by Dasuki that the money was shared on
the directives of the former President.
But speaking at the party’s constitution
amendment forum in Abuja yesterday, Secondus
said Jalo spoke for himself and that his views
did not represent the position of the PDP
leadership.
“Let me make it clear to you that Jalo was only
expressing his personal opinion because his
views did not represent the position of the party.
“There was no time we discussed at the National
Executive Committee (NEC) that Jonathan should
speak on the arms deal scandal. There was no
time such a thing came up at the NEC. So, Jalo
must be expressing his personal opinion,” the
party acting chairman said.
He decried the continued detention of the party’s
National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh
and other party chieftains by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The party chair called on the EFCC to release
Metuh immediately, saying his continued was
against the rule of law and a breach of his
fundamental human right.
He also denied reports of his removal as the
party’s Acting National Chairman, saying the PDP
constitution recognised his present position in
the absence of a substantive chair.