The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed a statement of defence to a suit filed against it by a firm, Silon Concepts Limited seeking an order compelling the party to pay N70 million for the services it rendered during the 2015 presidential campaign.
The plaintiff (Silon Concepts) had sued the PDP, its former National Chairman, Ahmadu Alli and the former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman over the refusal of the defendants to pay the said services.
Alli was the Director General of the 2015 PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, while Usman, who was also a former Senator in the 7th National Assembly, served as the Director of Finance of the campaign organisation.
However, a mild drama played out at the continued hearing of the matter at Justice C.U Ndukwe. Abuja High Court in Kuje when the PDP, in its statement of defence affirmed the membership of Alli and Usman, but denied authorising them to carry out multi-billion transactions they were personally involved in before and after the presidential election.
In the election, candidate of the PDP and then incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan lost to Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressives Congress (APC).
The statement of defence of the PDP was dated June 18, 2015 and filed by counsel to the party, Kwon Victor Y.
Apart from denying authorising Alli and Usman to carry out the multi billion naira transactions, the PDP also went further to say that it had nothing to do with the Jointrust Dimension Nig. Ltd’s Zenith Bank Plc account number 1010740698, for which billions of naira went through and Senator Usman is the sole signatory.
Usman, on her part, did not file any defence, but only filed a notice of preliminary objection on 2nd July 2015.
In the notice of preliminary objection filed by Usman, she insisted that she was an agent of PDP and transacted on behalf of the party, even when PDP had earlier disowned her and Alli.
It was a mild drama in court as the lawyers to PDP and Usman exchanged words in serious disagreement.
On his part, Alli neither filed a defence nor appeared in court.
Festus Keyamo Chambers had sued PDP, Alli and Usman over their alleged refusal to pay for services rendered by its client, Silon Concepts Limited that was duly engaged and commissioned to broadcast a campaign message for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan before the last presidential election.
Keyamo is urging the court to, among others; compel the defendants to pay the outstanding sum of N70 million and N15 million as the cost of the suit plus an annual interest rate of 10 per cent on the sum of N70 million until the said sum is fully liquidated.
As the time of writing this report, both Usman and Alli are yet to file any defence.
All waits to see what develops before the next hearing date of September 24, 2015