One more surprise should be the modesty of the PDP in budgeting only N10 billion for the national secretariat of Africa’s biggest party and one that has predicted it would be in power for the next 60 years. It is also possible that what informed the modesty was that the party is just 10 years old. Each billion Naira could represent each year of its existence.

Whatever it is, the PDP for once chose to do things in small measures. The party panicked when the public kicked against the proposed contribution of N50 million from each of the States where it produced the governors.

PDP Chairman Prince Vincent Ogbulafor came up with the brilliant idea that would have netted N1.35 billion from PDP’s 27 States. The public would never know what the States finally gave. Ogbulafor’s transparency suffered much criticisms and denied the public the opportunity of knowing more about the character of the party.

Last minute resort to asking public office holders in PDP States to contribute 10 per cent of their salaries was disingenuous.

Those who gave at the fund raising can explain their support. There is no reason to guess their motivation. They are faithful party members, who are paying for favours already received or anticipated favours.

Whatever their interest, two matters – almost one – interest us here. These contributions must be legitimate, and must be seen to be legitimate. There are constitutional issues involved, as well as other levels of legal  provisions that these donations might have infracted.

Did the donors give the billions as individual or corporate contributions? Were donations from PDP chapters outside Nigeria accepted? How much tax did these donors pay in the past year? Who anonymously donated N100 million? Who or what was he dodging?

The Federal Internal Revenue Service should be interested in the taxes the donors paid. The Corporate Affairs Commission should also ensure that companies did not contribute at the launching, as financial contributions from companies to political causes violate the Companies and Allied Matters Act.

Section 225 (3) states that, “No political party shall hold or possess any funds or other assets outside Nigeria ; or be entitled to retain any funds or assets remitted or sent to it from outside Nigeria ”. It would be important to see if the event complied with this constitutional provision.

There have been criticisms of the fund raising and attempts to link it with the PDP’s insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians. Such comments are unfair. The PDP is entitled to a decent party secretariat, by its own standards.

Nigerians should bother whether these funds are from private sources, whether these individuals have met their income tax obligations and whether public funds have not mixed with party funds under some subterfuge.

We want the relevant authorities to put the event through these tests.

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