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Etiebet denies N300m Aso Rock bribe
Etiebet denies N300m Aso Rock bribe
NDIDI OKAFOR,
Abuja
NATIONAL
Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief Don Etiebet, yesterday
denied collecting an alleged N300 million bribe from Aso Rock.
Etiebet described as baseless the
allegation of bribery against him and noted that the enemies of the ANPP,
especially those who were suspended from the party, were behind the speculation.
His position was made known at the party
secretariat in Abuja at a press conference addressed by the National Publicity
Secretary, Mr. Nnamdi Olebara.
Treasurer and national caucus member,
Chief Senibo Godwin Minimah, yesterday resigned from the party on personal
ground.
Denying the bribery allegation, Chief
Etiebet said: "I want to state herewith emphatically and conscientiously that on
my honour as a Christian, I swear by the Holy Bible that at no time have I, Don
Etiebet, collected N300 million from the Presidency, any organs or agency or
persons acting on behalf of the Presidency, either on behalf of my party, ANPP,
for any purpose or on behalf of anybody or person or myself since I became the
National Chairman of ANPP, till today as I am writing this Press release."
Chief Etiebet, is currently recuperating
from a surgery in London also said there was no plan to suspend the ANPP’s
presidential candidate, Major-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) saying that he has
done nothing to warrant suspension.
He also debunked through Mr. Olebara, the
claim that the party was neck-deep in crisis.
The ANPP boss said he was neither
contemplating resignation nor the suspension of Gen. Buhari, explaining that as
an individual, Buhari had the right of association.
Speaking on the reason the ANPP shunned
the last protest of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), the
National Secretary, Mallam El-Kafuzu, on his part, said "it will be prejudice
for ANPP to take part since we have a case pending in court on the presidential
election in 2003."
Nonetheless, he said there was nothing
wrong about the participation of Gen. Buhari during the rally, saying that "he
is an individual and has his right of association; Buhari has done nothing wrong
to warrant suspension as being speculated."
However, he absolved the party leadership
of any financial recklessness and said every fund allocated to the ANPP by the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been properly utilised.
He said the party has already opened its
books for scrutiny to the audit unit of INEC, adding that the N90 million left
in the ANPP coffers by Governor Attahiru Bafarawa of Sokoto State was also
transparently disbursed for party activities.
Explaining his refusal to operate from the
ANPP’s secretariat, Chief Etiebet said his safety was not guaranteed.
He said since the "arsonists torched our
National Secretariat, the police have not come up with any report or arrest of
culprits, the place has become very dangerous."
Besides, he said the Presidency has
stripped him of security protection, "despite my status as leader of
opposition."
He dismissed as false, allegation that
former military ruler, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida gave the party N10
million.
Meanwhile, the crisis rocking the party
deepened yesterday with the resignation of Chief Minimah.
His resignation was said to have jolted
the party’s leadership.
The letter was said to have been forwarded
to the party caucus leaders in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Chief Minimah, in his one-page letter,
addressed to Chief Etiebet, however, wished the party well.
"If need be, my political future will be
determined along the lines of political realities in the country," he said.
Minimah did not, however, state his reason
for resigning, but said he will miss his friends in the party.
Chief Minimah served as the chairman of the South South
zone rally organizing committee and chairman Buhari national campaign rally
committee.
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