FORMER chairman of DAAR Communications and chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, has dismissed the ongoing trial of stalwarts of the party, including himself over an alleged diversion of arms procurement fund into the presidential campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan, as a hoax.
Former minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda and five others were recently arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Peter Afen of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja on a 22-count charge of conspiracy, bribery, abuse of office and criminal breach of trust.
Yuguda was charged alongside with former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (retd), a former director of Finance and Administration in NSA office, Shuaibu Salisu, a former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafawara, his son, Sagir and Dalhatu Investment Limited.
Former national chairman of the party and acting Chairman of its Board of Trustees (BoT), Dr. Haliru Bello, was on Tuesday arraigned alongside his son, Abba and their company, BAM Projects and Properties Limited over their alleged involvement in the $2.1 billion arms deal during the Jonathan administration.
But addressing newsmen yesterday in Abuja during his investiture as patron of the PDP Youth Vanguard, Dokpesi claimed all the chieftains of the party facing trial were victims of political persecution by an administration, which he further claimed was bent on foisting a one party state on Nigeria.
Dokpesi said: “Our party is indeed experiencing a massive persecution, political reprisal and vendetta of the kind never before seen on our shores and targeted at the leadership, membership and indeed sympathisers of the PDP by the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
“I speak with regards to several matters before the law courts concerning PDP members and especially my humble self on charges filed against us by the Federal Government and would crave your indulgence not to make any comments as doing so would be subjudice.
“Having said so, I must hasten to assure you that there is nothing like the much-flaunted $2.1 billion armsgate. The competent courts of our land would sooner or later prove this coinage aimed at decimating the leadership and membership of our great party to be nothing, but a hoax.”
Dokpesi said PDP chieftains would not be deterred by what he called the resolve of the APC-led Federal Government to run it aground.
In his remarks, National Coordinator of the PDP Youth Vanguard, Ambassador Ibrahim Bala, who had earlier stormed the party national secretariat with his members to protest the arrest of the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh by the EFCC, described Dokpesi as a pillar of support for the revitalisation of the main opposition party.
Bala said his group would mobilise support for the PDP across the country to make the party acceptable across board ahead of 2019 general election.
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