Pandemonium at PDP secretariat over N360m debt

By Ahmed Abubakar

There was pandemonium yesterday at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), national headquarters by some irate youth that were protesting an alleged debt of over N360million being owed them by the party.

The youth said to be workers of the Twinkles World Ltd, were protesting against an unpaid debt, estimated at N360 million that the company was said to have spent handling the contract for the decoration of PDP presidential campaigns in all states of the federation in the last general elections.

During the protest, the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Tunde Agarawu, and Project Coordinator, Mr. Awonaiya Olayemi, were physically assaulted.

While the MD was in the process of the proceeding earned himself a slap by a police officer on guard at the secretariat and an unidentified employee of PDP, was spotted to be pelting the MD with sands on his head.

The police team later reinforced and came with many other police officers to battle the protesters numbering over 30.

But a police officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the MD was assaulted because he did not heed the advice to channel his grievances to Legacy House, which is the office of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation.

The firm reiterated its decision to drag President Goodluck Jonathan and the party to court over the unpaid debt.

Already, the company said its lawyer had issued a seven-day ultimatum to PDPPCO to offset the debt or face action in court.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions including ‘PDPPCO is owing us for the service we provided them’, ‘Prof. Jerry Gana, pay us our money now!’, ‘Dr. Ahmadu Ali, DG of PDPPCO, pay our money now’, ‘Mr. President, Prof. Jerry Gana is yet to pay Twinkle World Ltd.’ and ‘Nigerians: PDP is owing Twinkle World’.

Agarawu said since Jonathan lost the presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari, he and the PDP hierarchy had failed to pay most debts incurred for the campaigns.