The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olu Falae, has expressed his thoughts over the $2.1 billion arms procurement fund that was recently linked to him.

 

The former secretary general of the federation, on Thursday, January 21, while speaking on the scandal at the party’s National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, said he was ashamed to be linked with a former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (retd), and the $2.1billion arms scandal.

 

Falae told his party stalwarts that he would open up on the contentious N100 million that he collected from the former chairman, Board of Trustees, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih, and “silence the blackmailers.”

 

According to him, the last time he saw Dasuki was in 1987, when he was Secretary to the Government of the Federation, during the government of former president Ibrahim Babangida.

 

“For people to even mention my name in connection with Dasuki, I feel ashamed for Nigerians to even say such a thing. It is wicked and a sin against God. I am sure they know that what I am saying is the truth; that there was no connection between SDP or myself with Dasuki.

 

“We did not take any money from Dasuki. The money sent to us was by the PDP based on the exchange of letters between us, which establishes the contract.

 

“Some people are still writing spurious nonsense but I intend to address the press sometimes next week, probably in Lagos, to tell my story so everybody can hear and the blackmailers can shut up forever.

 

“I said this because I can’t come here without addressing this issue, so that you know what you take home. We are very proud of the way we have handled this matter,” he said.

 

The elder statesman assured that the SDP would triumph over what he described as a campaign of calumny by certain forces to mar its leadership.

 

“I have said so several times and I will say so now that as a believer in God, I did not collect even one naira from Col. Dasuki. Not just that, I have had absolutely no feelings whatsoever, with Col. Dasuki.

 

“I think the last time I saw Col. Dasuki must have been in 1987 when he was ADC to General Babangida and I was Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation.

 

“So we worked together, that was on 1987. That is 29 years ago. So, ladies and gentlemen, please, put your mind at rest. I have nothing to do with Dasuki. I took no money from Dasuki. The N100m they are talking about, it was the money sent by the PDP to your party, SDP, following our endorsement of their presidential candidate,” he said.

 

Falae reportedly collected the sum of N100 million from the former Board of Trustees (BOT) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih. The money allegedly came from the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki.

 

Falae, on Sunday during a church service at St. David’s Cathedral, Ijomu street, Akure, Ondo state capital tried to explain to worshippers that he was not involved in the diversion of security funds traced to Dasuki, but was booed by the congregation.

 

He has insisted that his party would not return the N100 million it collected from Chief Anenih to the government coffers.