N6b Congresses Fees: APC Denies Premium Times Report

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied report that APC governors to contribute n6billion for upcoming congresses, convention despite owing salaries.

APC made the announcement in a statement signed  by the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.

Abdullahi stated:

Our attention has been drawn to a story on the Premium Times under the above stated headline.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) denies your story and wishes to state that the# story is misleading and has misrepresented our party.

We therefore wish to make the following clarification.

At the meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) and the governors of the party held at the party secretariat on Thursday 26th April, it was pointed out that many of the governors have fallen behind in the payment of their party dues. While some of the governors have been up-to-date with the payments, a few others have not paid at all. The governors were therefore requested to pay up, especially in view of upcoming party activities.

It is therefore possible that a governor that falls in the category of those that has not paid since inception could owe up to N250million. Therefore, it is grossly misleading, if not downright malicious, for your report to simply apply this sum to everyone and multiply by the number of governors.

For avoidance of doubts, party dues are paid by all members of the party holding positions, either by election or appointment. Therefore, members of the National Assembly as well as cabinet ministers also remit a percentage of their earnings to the party. It is therefore false to say governors are expected to pay up with state money.

It is also important to note that the convention committee has not submitted a budget for the convention. Therefore, the issue of N6billion is not in any way warranted.