Fraud allegation rocks APC, party Chairman explains

There have been allegations of misappropriation of funds by some members of the Niger State Chapter Executive of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The State Financial Secretary of the APC, Malam Idris Gbongon, had recently petitioned the police alleging that the chairman and other executive members misappropriated funds accruing to the party.

This has been causing ripples among the party hierarchy, threatening the unity of the party in the state.

However, Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Imam, has said there was no iota of truth in the allegation, assuring that the party remained united.

Imam stated this on Tuesday in Minna after an extended meeting with members of the party at the state and local government levels.

“The APC has set out mechanisms to re-strategise and ensure that the party remain united.

“We will not allow factions in the APC in Niger or to be subdued by anyone, no matter the position the person holds, as the party remains a supreme body.

“No money is lost. We have been running the system in the most transparent manner, in fact, we run it as if it is a Ministry. We have been prudent in resource management.

“The party has three signatories and the financial secretary who wrote that petition is one of the signatories and he has been the one writing the cheques,” Imam was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He added that the financial secretary had never been sidelined in any way as he had always participated in all meetings and party activities.

He pointed out that the financial secretary was being mischievous.

He assured that a five-man committee had been set up by the party to give fair hearing to all parties involved and submit their report in one week.

“This is an internal issue and we have internal mechanisms for conflict resolution which have been employed.

“A committee has been set up to give everyone fair hearing and they will submit their report in a week time”, the chairman said.

On the party’s relationship with the executive in the state, Imam said that it was cordial, “but the party should be consulted on some issues that affect it.”