Disquiet has hit the Osun State chapter of the Accord party as members and supporters allege that their leaders failed to pay out a N50 million mobilisation fund. The money was reportedly meant for participants in the recent PBAT Door-to-Door Movement programme held in the state.
According to Punch, a total sum of N100 million was set aside to bring out different interest groups across both the All Progressives Congress and the Accord party for the inauguration event. An anonymous organiser stated that N50 million was shared to each of the two political parties to coordinate their followers.
However, several participants claim they left the gathering empty-handed. An aide to Governor Ademola Adeleke, who asked not to be named, stated that a support group he arranged for the event received nothing. A representative from the National Association of Nigerian Students in the South-West also accused the Accord leadership of sitting on the money after students were brought out to attend.
Responding to the grievances, the Osun State Coordinator of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Timothy Olanrewaju, maintained that the funds were handed over. He noted that the budget catered for N80,000 per bus alongside N10,000 for each passenger in an 18-seater vehicle.
Olanrewaju advised the aggrieved members to question their respective party leaders directly, pointing out that the central planning team did not hold onto their allocation. He added that the crowd expected from the party fell below the initial target of 5,000 people.
On his part, the Osun State Chairman of the Accord party, Pastor Victor Akande, denied any knowledge of the transaction. He explained that he did not serve on the organising committee, did not handle any cash, and had not received any formal petition from aggrieved party members regarding the matter.
