The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has claimed that the seven former party official resigned their membership of the party in order to avoid indictment over alleged embezzlement.
The members who resigned from their positions and the party were Sir Martin Ejiogu, State Deputy Chairman; Nze Ray Emeana, State Secretary; Barr. Josiah Eze, State Treasurer; Collins Opurozor, State Publicity Secretary; Maria Mbakwe, State Woman Leader; Barr. Chibuisi Obido, State Vice Chairman, Orlu zone; and Greg Nwadike, State Youth leader over allegations of repeated assassination attempts and interference.
However, Governor Hope Uzodimma on Monday received them into the All Progressive Congress (APC) even as they pledged support for him.
State Financial Secretary, Barr. Bede Ejimmadu said a report implicated the decampees of alleged mismanagement of N1.4 billion earmarked for the 2023 presidential campaign.
Ejimmadu, alongside some party officials, addressed newsmen at the PDP secretariat in Owerri, the Imo State capital over the development.
Further, he said the former officials failed to render accounts for the monies received from proceeds of nomination forms for governorship, national assembly, and state assembly elections in the state.
According to him, till date, all monies received as campaign funds had remained unaccounted for since, saying his office has not received any.
Ejimmadu said when he persisted for full rendition of accounts, saying they left because they saw themselves bigger than the party leadership, usurped his position and allegedly misappriopriated party funds.
He said “it is regrettable to state that as the Financial Secretary of the party in the state, I have no records of any financial dealings by the party, all proceeds from sale of nomination forms, sale of party cards, annual dues, levies and donations running into over N600m that have accrued to the party in the last three years are only known to the state secretary, Deputy Chairman and treasurer, who are among these decampees.
“The party in the state received over N1.4billion naira from donations and candidates contributions for the last Presidential and National Assembly elections, these money was appropriated by Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Nze Ray Emeana and Martin Ejiogu without the input or knowledge of the committee on finance of the presidential campaign council which I was the secetary, the manner of the distribution and utilization of these funds are a subject of investigation by the party and we will stop at nothing to unravel how a major portion of these funds developed wings”, Ejimadu said.
He stated that no measure of blackmail or defection will stop the ongoing investigation adding if they are found culpable, surely they will be handed over to the security agencies for prosecution.
He assured that the party was safer without the former officials saying “The Peoples Democratic Party, Imo state chapter is safer without these wolves in ship clothing, we further assure you that the report of the investigations into the misappropriated #12m given to the party by our gubernatorial candidate and his deputy, Rt. Hon. Jones Onyeriri at the stakeholders meeting in May through the State secetary and other cases of financial impropriety and anti party activities levelled against these decampees will be made public soon and the law will take it’s course.
