Why Ogbulafor can’t lead PDP - Ex Auditor

Barrister Ray Nnaji

Barrister Ray Nnaji is a former national auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He is also a former commissioner in Enugu State and currently leading a faction of the party loyal to Senator Chimaroke Nnamani in Enugu State. He declares in this interview with Group Politics Editor, TAIWO ADISA, that the party made a mistake by bringing into office the incumbent National Chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor. He calls for reforms in the PDP and insists that only a strict compliance with the rules, as stipulated in the party’s constitution, can save the PDP from disintegration. Excerpts:

There was a petition by you concerning the allegations against the National Chairman of PDP. Why did you petition the President?
I did petition the President because we found out that the party is sinking under his(Ogbulafor’s) leadership. The party has no focus and the person that is supposed to lead the party is not doing anything. The party we have laboured to bring to the level it was before he came in is sinking and everybody knows it’s sinking because of the moral decadence of the National Chairman, who has actually disgraced himself and made the party to look as if it is a terrible party nobody can have anything to do with. When the head is rotten, it affects the entire system and the entire body.

That’s why I couldn’t wait to allow the party to sink further. I knew quite well that if not the circumstance that brought him to office, if it were through genuine and proper screening and due process had been taken during the Convention, that man wouldn’t have emerged. In the first place, he was not even qualified to be the National Chairman of the party. Having been indicted by the Anenih-led probe panel, of which I was a member of the National Working Committee, which the panel investigated in 2005. We were only six that were exonerated: myself, Venatius Ikem, Bibi Farouk, Barrister Olofintoye, Mr. Akpuobi and Mrs. Josephine Anenih. Apart from the six National Vice Chairmen of which the current Deputy National Chairman, Bello was the Vice Chairman of North West and two others – Bode George and Oyedokun, the two National Deputies. Then we had Deputy National Chairmen Oyedokun and Safana and from Katsina. So, one from the North and one from the South. We were the people exonerated. Apart from that, other people were found culpable in one way or the other.

As for Ogbulafor, he was found culpable of certain money collected form candidates which was traced to him because it was traced to the late Inuwa Labaran, the National organizing Secretary, who was the man in charge of the whole thing with Ogbulafor, and he collected this money, disbursed to Ogbulafor and Ogbulafor did not account for those money. This happened before the election. It was the nomination fee of some candidates before the election. That money was traced to him. The probe panel was set up by the NEC and after that, six of us were exonerated and they took us to Baba(former President Obasanjo), wanted he commended the six of us. Out of the six, three were given appointments. Josephine Anenih was given appointment as Special Assistant to the President. Venatius Ikem was Special Adviser in commendation for a very good job they have done and even Farouk. The three of them were working in the Presidency. Akpuobi and Olofintoye returned to the party, whereas my Governor said I should come down to the state because I would have either stayed back in the party or been in the Presidency. But Ogbulafor and the rest were told to go. So, Ogbulafor begged for a safe landing and he said he wants to refund the money and the money was refunded and he resigned. Somebody who has done all these things, how could you have suddenly within three years, given him National Chairman of the party, when you know that his moral standing is so terrible. Section 18A and B of the party’s constitution gave the Board of Trustees the right to maintain the highest standard of morality for national officers, of which Ogbulafor is supposed to maintain high standard of morality. But you find out that this man is so terrible. Look at what happened in Enugu when he came visiting a Governor that he was not invited and the Governor disgraced him. At the end of the day, he started inviting the Governor for a personal visit to come before the National Working Committee to sanction him for insubordination.

Besides, there was one contract he sponsored through his brother and the contract was inflated. I caught them. The contract was for the supply of stationeries. I caught the boy and the boy is still there.

And you know what is in town that the man actually bought a house in Asokoro for the sum of N700 million; a person that has not stayed up to one year. That is the news all over and it’s not a hidden secret. How could he have bought a house for N700 million in an office he has not stayed up to one year? If he stays four years, you can imagine what will happen. The man is just there not to better the lot of the party but to destroy the party. The party should act as quickly as possible. We have problem in Enugu political structure because Ogbulafor took sides and was interested because of certain financial inducements.

Before you go further, the Special Assistant to the Chairman, Chijioke Adindu told us that…..
You should know him. Chijioke Adindu is an unknown quantity. I knew him when he was Special Adviser and I know the corners…

What he claimed was that we should ignore your petition because you are aggrieved that the chairman did not back your claim to the chairmanship of the party in Enugu State?
Even if I’m aggrieved, what I’m saying, is it false? That is the issue. Even if I’m aggrieved, have I no right to be aggrieved when I have something I have merited and have got. Why do you now take sides? Are you supposed to take sides? In a situation whereby you were not even there and you did not midwife the Congress, what you are supposed to have done is to play a neutral role and place the card on the table. But the other man was boasting about that he gave him a lot of money and all these things.

They were all boasting. I know all these and I said I cannot give Ogbulafor one kobo because I don’t have money to give him. Even if I have money, I can’t give Ogbulafor a kobo because I won this election. So, a party I’ve suffered and laboured and have paid my dues to the highest level of being the former National Auditor of the party, how could somebody who is supposed to be a colleague and is supposed to know what is right, decide to play against the rule of the game? He was against the rule of the game.

Actually because of what I had done as National Auditor, that was the offence I committed. Then Ogbulafor started visiting it on me because he has opportunity of being the National Chairman where he was not even qualified to be. In the actual sense, Ogbulafor is not even qualified to be the National Chairman. If not for issue of party and the respect I have, I would have taken this matter even to the extent of going to court early enough. But the issue is that I was respecting the views of the party. I was saying that let us not destroy the party we are in. But it continues getting out of hand and you find out that the man is not helping the party any longer. So, it is best for the party to come together and find ways to ease out this man and find somebody who will take us to the promised land because with what is happening, Ogbulafor is going to destroy the party further.

But the man has a tenure?
He has a tenure but let me be frank with you. If you have a tenure and there are certain things you do along the line, you may be asked to go. A Governor has a tenure but sometimes they impeach him. The same thing for the President and the rest of them. You saw what happened in the US. Because a governor cut corners for the replacement of Obama, you heard what happened to him. So, the issue of having tenure, when you know quite well that if you allow the guy to last out that tenure, it will be disastrous, why do you now continue talking of tenure? I have x-rayed certain facts that are enough for the man to go. We have more people that are better than him and that can help us from the South East and that can carry the party to the promised land. But with Ogbulafor, we are not going anywhere. He’s talking about being aggrieved. I’m a lawyer, I’m practicing and I’m a sports administrator. I’m not hungry.

So, why shouldn’t I be angry when somebody did not do the right thing that he’s supposed to have done. Not even a day did Ogbulafor call us and said let me listen to these people. I have right to be heard. Even if there is something that is wrong, Ogbulafor is supposed to have called me and the parties involved and listen to us.

Your mentioned in you petition that the National Chairman bought a house of N700 million. But as a businessman, can’t he afford that?
He cannot afford it. We know quite well that Ogbulafor cannot afford it after being National Secretary. He has two houses in Gwarinpa which he bought during that period before he was out of the National Secretariat of the party. A National officer depends on sitting allowances, housing allowance and transport allowance. Every other one may be from either friends dashing him money and the rest of them. There is no big deal.

I’ve been there. So, how come Ogbulafor got so much money? For one to buy a house of N700 million, he must have had three times that amount. So, his account should be probed to find out how much is there. What kind of business is Ogbulafor doing that will give him profit of N700 million and that would have made him to buy a residential house at that amount, not even a commercial house. If it were a commercial house, you could say, probably, he’s using it to make more money. But it’s a residential house, under one year. Who has done it previously? That is to tell you the kind of life the man is living and the kind of person he is. It’s very unfortunate. If we should continue like that, the hope of reforming this country is dashed.