Former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili has released a statement denying claims that he received N100 million from the embattled former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) through former minister of state, finance, Bashir Yuguda. Odili who is a chieftain of the former ruling party, said the only money he collected was from PDP which was released by for the 2015 elections contact and mobilisation committees of the party.
“My attention has been drawn to some publications where a former Minister of State (Finance), Mr Bashir Yuguda was quoted to have said that he allegedly gave me the sum of N100 million, out of the money he purportedly collected from the former National Security Adviser,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
“I decided to personally sign this rebuttal because over the years, I had ignored various spurious and patently false reports against me because I know that at the fullness of time, the truth would surely prevail. I categorically state with all sense of responsibility that I have never had any dealings, private or business or official, with the former National Security Adviser, so the issue of allegedly collecting N100 million from either the former NSA or Mr Yuguda does not arise,” he stated Odili went further to state that “The party, not the former NSA or Yuguda gave the South -South Committee through me, the sum of N100 million along with other zonal Chairmen, in the house of the National Chairman, Dr. Adamu Muazu, for the assignment. This amount was subsequently disbursed to the relevant party members from the zone for the assignment given by the party. I have the appointment letter and terms of reference, minutes of all the meetings, signatures of all the members and the report of the zonal committee, which was duly submitted to the Party Leader. I reiterate for the purpose of emphasis, that I had no dealings with the former NSA, neither did I collect any money from Yuguda. I challenge anyone who has any contrary evidence to produce it,”.