By Our Correspondent
Hell was let losed recently at the Pepople’s Democratic Party (PDP) Secretariat, Asaba, Delta State when what was supposed to be a peaceful donation of N20 million to the Delta State branch of the PDP by one of its governorship aspirants, Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, at the party’s secretariat in Asaba turned violent when some supporters demanded for their own share of the largess or else they will vandalise the party’s new edifice.
Olejeme, the Chairman of Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), had stormed the secretariat with her horde of supporters to notify the party’s executive members of her intention to seek the party’s ticket for the 2015 governorship election.
The party’s Chairman, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, who sat on the podium and was flanked by the Secretary, Chief Solomon Ogba and other top party leaders, had showered encomiums on the female aspirant for taking time off her busy schedule to come to notify the executive members of her intention.
And overwhelmed by the show of support, Mrs. Olejeme promptly signalled to her aides who brought two medium Ghana-Must-Go and one big leather bags containing wads of money all in N1,000 denomination when she stood up to talk.
She explained that N10 million was to “wage” the traditional breaking of kolanuts” while the remaining N10 million was for the furnishing of the secretariat which was opened by the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, earlier in the day.
She said amidst a thunderous ovation: “I always tell people that the PDP chairman in my state is the most valuable. He already has my vote as he goes to the Senate. I would make the state as beautiful as me if I win.”
There was, however, pandemonium when she left after the donation as the motley crowd of women, party faithful and thugs laid a siege at the premises demanding for their own share of the money, and openly calling the executive members who went upstairs to sort out the largesse names.
“We will shake this secretariat this night. We won’t leave here until we are settled. We will scatter this place. The executive members cannot eat alone and leave us out”, one of the youths threatened.
The fire-spitting youths, who waited anxiously downstairs, defied the threats and intimidation of gun-totting policemen and threatened dire consequences should they be left out of the sharing of the money.
