A Peoples Democratic Party national delegate from Kaduna State, Tanko Sabo, has said that he donated over N12 million he got from the party’s presidential primary to the less-privileged in the Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna.
In a telephone interview with The PUNCH on Thursday morning, Sabo said he wasn’t afraid that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission might come after him, adding that he “satisfied my conscience and all my people are happy”.
According to him, he made a promise to his constituents to give back whatever monetary benefits he got at the PDP primary if elected as a delegate.
Sabo also refused to divulge the names of the aspirants who gave him such monies but he tersely said, “They are many.”
When our correspondent asked him the aspirant he eventually voted for, Sabo said, “It is personal.”
On how the money was disbursed, the delegate said he paid N6.9 million as “WAEC and NECO examination fees for 150 orphans and the underprivileged” and added that he gave N100,000 as logistics to the five-man committee set up to go round the schools and pay the examination fees because “implementation is important”.
He added that N3.2 million was spent on the purchase of 42 customised jerseys to promote sports among the youths in the area.
Sabo said PDP executives in the 11 wards in his local government got N1.3 million from his largesse while N350,000 went to the elderly.
him as a “delegate with a difference”.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar won the primary on Saturday night. He defeated close rivals like Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; amongst others.
One of the aspirants, Sam Ohuabunwa, had alleged that delegates could not resist the $10,000, $15,000 and $20,000 offered them by the ‘four leading contestants’, during the party’s presidential special convention in Abuja.
Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, had left the party and quit the contest for reasons he said didn’t align with his principles. Also, another aspirant, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, quit the contest over “obscene monetisation” allegation.
EFCC operatives had stormed the venue of the primary on Saturday but no one was apprehended.
Copyright PUNCH.
