Housing Allowance Scandal: Why We Can’t Go After PDP Officials — EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reacted to the financial scandal rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Naija News had earlier reported that some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the main opposition party returned money sent to their account for housing allowance by the party.

The NWC members who returned the sum of over N122 million to the party account include the Deputy National Chair­man (South), Taofeek Arapaja, National Woman Leader, Stella Effah-Attoe, National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dan Orbih, and three others.

EFCC in its reaction on Sunday stated why it may not invite the national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu and other NWC members.

The commission while reacting to the call to invite Ayu and other NWC members said it cannot invite PDP offi­cials as nobody has written any petition on the financial scandal.

A top official of EFCC who spoke on condition of anonymity stated this in a chat with Daily Independent.

The EFCC official said that even if a petition is written on the issue, it might be difficult for the anti-graft agency to invite the party leaders now that the 2023 general elections campaign has started.

He said, “The first is that no petition has been forwarded to us on the issue. Second, even if a petition is written, we can’t invite any of them now amid campaigns for general elec­tions. If anything happens to­morrow, they will claim it was the EFCC that distracted them from campaigning.”