PEOPLES 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.