The National Management Committee (NMC) of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) has suspended its National Chairman, Hon Isaac Chigozie Udeh, for allegedly collecting the sum of $25,000 to N250 million from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the public endorsement of PDP and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Udeh was suspended during the Movement’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Monday in Abuja.
In a report jointly signed by the NMC members, Acting National Secretary, Barrister Obidike Okolo, National Treasurer, Shedrach Oka and others explained that from the period of March to October 2023, there was no record or evidence to show that NRM benefited from the public endorsement, adding that it was an incontrovertible fact that such an endorsement would not have been negotiated for free.
According to the report, some candidates of the party accused the National Chairman of collecting money from them and paying into an account which was not the party account, particularly, the Senatorial
candidate off Orlu senatorial zone of Imo state, Chief Uwaezuoke complained that he was asked to pay the sum of N5,000,000 into one private account. Such monies if confirmed were obviously diverted for personal use.
The report further said, the National Chairman was alleged to have surreptitiously gone behind the official arrangement of the party to the said political party to demand for the sum of N 1billion naira to be paid to him personally.
“This request instantly sabbtaged and truncated the organic engagement NRM had reaçhed with the said political party,”
The NMC recommended that the National Chairman cannot preside over the affairs of the party while he is being investigated so that he will not interfere with the investigations while he will be afforded a fair hearing by the panel.
“Furthermore, NMC has reasons to believe that the 2 Deputy Natiohal Chairmen (North & South) are complicit in the above-mentioned constitutional violations either by omission,commission, or negligence. Accordingly, NMC recommends that the 2 National Deputy Chairmen (North & South) be suspended and referred to the investigative panel for investigation,” he said.
The National Chairman while responding in an interview with newsmen , said the allegations leveled against him were unfounded and does not exist.
