Unrepentant band of thieves” – Nigerians criticize PDP as bribery scandal rocks party

The dramatic disclosure of an alleged N122m bribery by members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) has drawn sharp criticism from Nigerians who took to the social media to berate the party over its ostensible refusal to abandon its ‘historic links to corruption and shady deals’.

On Thursday night, six members of the PDP NWC, all of them from the southern region, raised alarm over an unknown and non-requested payment made into their respective accounts by the party. This was as the party remained at war over the fate of its chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, who was recently accused by Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike of receiving a N1BN bribe to influence the outcome of the party’s presidential primary election.

Although the PDP has tried to defend the over N122m payment as statutory allowances due to the members of its leadership, Nigerians have rebuked the party for its ‘shameless trade of positions and support for illicit financial gain’, asserting that it had yet to abandon its embrace of corruption which caused the country to reject it in 2015.

Commenting on social media, Mr. Solihu Abduljabbar said the turn of events was no surprise after the party chose as its flagbearer Atiku Abubakar, a man he described as ‘a leopard who cannot change its spot’.

He recounted the damning verdict delivered by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Atiku who deputized him as Vice President between 1999 and 2007. Obasanjo castigated Atiku as a ‘most disloyal human being who stole enough to feed the entire nation’.

Atiku was also named in the Haliburton bribery and corruption scandal which resulted in the conviction of senior political figures in the United States of America, and contributes to the reason the former Vice President has been unable to enter the country unaided.

Another Nigerian who commented on Twitter said “PDP as a party has been cursed with the demons of looting and bribery. Tueh!”

On their part, @EverRoun said, “NOTHING moves Nigerians, else this bribery case would have been enough to bury the PDP, Atiku & Ayu.”

@ podiumreporters.