The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has kicked against the arraignment of two of its chieftains at a court in Lagos, describing it as abuse of power by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Chairman of the PDP in Ondo State, Engineer Clement Faboyede,and DG of the Jonathan Campaign Team, Tokunbo Modupe, were arraigned last week at a Lagos high courtover alleged N500m fraud.
In a statement, the party also noted that the action was nothing but the continuation of abuses of privileges and prosecution powers by the APC.
Ayo Fadaka, the Party zonal Publicity Secretary, affirmed that the accused are not guilty of any offence known to the law.
“We note the arraignment of Engr Clement Faboyede, PDP Chairman, Ondo State alongside Akogun Tokunbo Modupe, who was the Coordinator of President Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Group in our State”, he said.
The PDP stalwart added that “It is imperative to clearly underscore the fact that the N500 million upon which this case is built is the campaign fund released by the Party to the Ondo State PDP through the Fidelity Bank and not in any manner a fraudulent issue. It was these gentlemen who signed and withdrew the money on behalf of the Party and this is the reason why the EFCC is prosecuting them.
“While we are not interested in the politics surrounding this matter, we however wish to state categorically that the APC is merely abusing the privileges of power to persecute the PDP endlessly, this we consider pedestrian and cheap.
“We reiterate very firmly that these gentlemen are no criminals as they only acted on behalf of the Party, it is the PDP that is in trial here and as a Party; we continue to repose confidence in the ability of the judiciary to adjudicate on this matter,” Fadaka affirmed.
