Falae: I received N100m from Anenih, not Dasuki

Olu Falae, former presidential candidate and Afenifere leader, says he never collected a dime from Dasuki but received N100 million from Tony Anenih to support the re-election of former president Goodluck Jonathan on six conditions.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) chieftain said he told the PDP that for him to support Jonathan in the March 28 presidential election, the president must end insurgency.

“I never had anything whatsoever to do with the former national security adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki. No relationship at all,” he told Channels Television.

“All that I know was that Chief Tony Anenih, chairman board of trustees of PDP, approached me before the last election, to seek the cooperation of my party for his own party in presenting the former president.

“I gave him six conditions. One was that his government must prosecute insurgency in the northeast more seriously. Two, we are not happy with the level of corruption in their government, so if we are to support them, they must pledge to adopt a zero-tolerance for corruption.

“Three, that they would judiciously restructure Nigeria by implementing the report of the 2014 national conference. Four, that they would pursue the creation of jobs for the masses as a priority.

“Five, that they would reduce recurrent expenditure so as to create capital funds for development, and six that if he wins election and accept those conditions, they would support them, we would expect all those in the next government.”

He said he expressed it in a formal letter to the PDP, asking him to confirm those conditions and to see that all the organs of the PDP agreed to that.

Falae said Anenih accepted the conditions and gave him N100million, which he immediately passed on to the SDP for the alliance between both parties.

In a statement signed by Abdul Isiaq, its national publicity secretary, SDP corroborated Falae’s position, saying the party had nothing to do with the arms scandal.

“The SDP NEC meeting debated the electoral alliance proposal thoroughly and finally gave overwhelming approval for the electoral alliance with PDP,” the party said.

“The NEC further empowered Chief Olu Falae to communicate the readiness of SDP to work with the PDP for the victory of former President Jonathan.

“In addition, certain cardinal objective principles must be agreed upon such as zero tolerance for corruption and acceptance of the Confab report among others.

“That consequent upon this agreement, the PDP through Chief Tony Anenih contributed N100 million to the SDP/PDP electoral alliance project through Chief Olu Falae .

“The SDP spent well above N100 million for the execution of the project throughout the election period.”

The party said it was not “aware that the money came from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, through Chief Anenih and meant for arms purchase”.

“The SDP as well as many Nigerians were aware that the PDP had a fundraising event prior to the election where billions of naira was donated,” insisting that the PDP, which had ruled Nigeria for 16 years was capable of funding their part of the electoral alliance.