Ayade’s Defection Is ‘Annoying,’ PDP Not Accountable To EFCC–BoT

The Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that the party is not answerable to the anti-graft agency, but to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The BoT also described the defection of Ben Ayade of Cross River state from the party to All Progressives Congress (APC) as most “annoying. “

Speaking with newsmen shortly after it’s meeting, the Chairman of BoT, Senator Walid Jubrin, blamed Kassim Afegbua for not taking advantage of the party Constitution to address whatever grievances he had against the party.

Recall that Afegbua had taken the National Chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus, to EFCC over alleged misappropriation of party funds generated during the last election.

Jubrin noted that Afegbua didn’t follow the party due process, adding, “we have provisions in the constitution of the party on how to deal with the matter of the party. Why didn’t he bring the mater to the disciplinary Committee of the party?

“All members of the party should be United. That Kassim Afegbua is a PDP man, he didn’t take any step within the PDP constitution, he didn’t complain to anybody within the party. He should follow the appropriate procedure being used in the constitution of the party. If a member has a complain there are things he will do, it is there in the constitution.

“INEC is the regulatory organ of all political parties and the PDP is inclusive. The PDP account has been audited by a reputable chattered firm and the report is with INEC and the body has not raised any objection on the account of the party.

“It is both constitutionally wrong for EFCC to intervene in issues that is purely of political parties.”

On the defection of Governor Ayade to the APC, the PDP BoT chairman said that it is shocking for a governor who has benefited from the PDP to behave the way he did.

He said: “The issue of Ayade is very very annoying. Somebody who has benefited for five years from PDP and he is talking of going to another party.”