Pro-Buhari group challenges Secondus to explain gift of 25 cars by Diezani’s ally

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) on Thursday challenged the suspended National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, to explain why he was given 25 exotic vehicles worth several billions of naira by an oil magnate currently standing trial for alleged corruption.

The group made the call in a statement issued by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju, and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke in Abuja.

The BMO was reacting to Secondus‘ threat to file a lawsuit against the group over its remarks on the activities of some individuals during the PDP’s 16 years rule in the country.

The group urged the embattled PDP chieftain to concentrate on his travails rather than attempting to stall discussions on publicly available information on the unbridled corruption that was the hallmark of the PDP era in the country.

The statement read: “We are amused to hear that Mr. Secondus is threatening to take us to court for mentioning his name in a recent press statement titled ‘Ayu, not different from previous corruption-tainted PDP leaders-BMO’.

“All we did was to simply recall how the suspended PDP chairman’s name was mentioned in the course of the corruption trial of Jide Omokore, an ally of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, by a prosecution witness as having received 25 exotic cars from what is believed to be proceeds of corruption.

READ ALSO: EFCC re-arraigns ex-gov Yero, others over Diezani’s N700m ‘bribe’

“For the avoidance of doubt, the witness who is a top management staff of a major car dealership told Justice Nnamdi Dimgba that his company ‘supplied 23 cars to Adamu Muazu, among them were five Land Cruiser Jeeps. We also supplied 25 cars to Prince Uche Secondus by order of Omokore and we also supplied nine vehicles to Albert Bassey.’

“So what we did, in essence, is to quote a court session which was well reported in 2018 by all the major news outlets and which details are public materials.

“It is in the public domain that Secondus acknowledged collecting vehicles from Omokore whom he described as a long-standing friend, so it would be great to hear his explanation for the gift of 25 exotic cars which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told the court were paid for from the $1.6billion said to be proceeds of petroleum products belonging to the Federal Government.

“And like we said in an earlier press statement, there is hardly any former or present PDP chairman that did not have to deal with corruption allegations.”

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