Sheriff says Wike gave Jonathan N50m for PDP stakeholders meeting, ex-president reacts

- PDP national chairman Sheriff has alleged that ex-president Jonathan collected N50million from Governor Wike to organise the recent stakeholders meeting in Abuja

- Jonathan dismissed the allegation saying that he took it upon himself to convene the meeting out of his genuine concern for peace to reign in the party

- Governor Fayose says Sheriff has taking his desperation too far by accusing the former president of taking bribe

Ali Modu Sheriff, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has alleged that Governor Nyesom Wike gave former President Goodluck Jonathan N50 million to organise the recent stakeholders meeting in Abuja.

Sheriff made the allegation at a news conference at the party’s secretariat on Thursday, April 13, The Nation reports.

Speaking through his deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Sheriff said Governor Wike and Governor Fayose of Ekiti state recruited Jonathan into a fake peace effort pre-determined to scuttle on-going peace initiative in the party.

He said: “The result is that President Jonathan was lured into committing a serious breach of protocol that led ‎to the failure of the exercise which was the intended outcome.”

READ ALSO: Reports of Governor Bello's attack is false and unfounded - Aide

According to him, Wike and the media mogul, Chief Raymond Dokpesi have already established their own political party, adding that their mission was to tie the PDP down with undue controversies.

He said that the party was worried that the amount of money Wike was spending on the crisis could smear the image of the PDP

Sheriff added: “This money belongs to the people of Rivers State and it should not be misappropriated at the expense of the people to whom it rightfully belonged.

“We therefore call on party leaders and Nigerians to refrain from accepting these monies from Governor Wike in line with the spirit of our founding fathers.”

Sheriff also restated his determination to go ahead with the plans to organise a convention for the party.

He said preparations for a free and fair convention were in top gear as he directed state chapter chairmen of the PDP to forward to the party secretariat the lists of all statutory delegates to the convention on or before April 27.

He added that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party would hold on May 3.

But in a swift response, ex-president Jonathan denied the allegation, saying that he took it upon himself to convene the meeting out of his genuine concern for peace to reign in the party.

Dr. Jonathan who spoke through his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, dismissed Sheriff’s allegation that he collected N50 million from Wike.

READ ALSO: After discovering huge sum of money in Ikoyi, EFCC storms residence of former governor

He said: “I don’t think anybody will believe that Jonathan collected money from anybody to organise the meeting. It was out of his genuine concern to bring peace to the party.

“He has been meeting with members of the party; he met with Sheriff severally, he also met with Makarfi severally. He met with the governors.

“I don’t see any reason for anybody to say that Jonathan collected money from anybody to organise the stakeholders conference.”

Also reacting to the allegation, Governor Fayose said Sheriff has taking his desperation too far by accusing the former president of taking bribe.

Fayose, in an SMS message by his media aide, Lere Olayinka said: “If Sheriff has taken his desperation to serve his paymasters in the APC to the level of accusing Jonathan of being bribed to organise peace meeting for the PDP, there is no reason for any sane mind to continue to respond to the continuous advertisement of his political insanity.”

Last week, Legit.ng had reported that the meeting between factional national chairmen of the PDP, summoned by former President Goodluck Jonathan, ended in a deadlock as Ali Modu Sheriff reportedly walked out.

Legit.ng learnt that Sheriff was angry that he was not allowed to declare the event opened, though he arrived late for the meeting.

Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi had continued to hold the jugular following a leadership tussle.

Meanwhile, watch video of man confessing that he may be forced to steal should the hardship in the country continue.

Source: Legit.ng