Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday played host to the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Mu’azu at his Hilltop Mansion residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The meeting which lasted for about two hours kick-started the chairman’s move to appeal to all aggrieved chieftains of the party to return to the main fold ahead of the 2015 general elections.
In attendance at the closed doors meeting was a close confidant of the former President, Andy Uba. However, after the meeting, Mu’azu declined to speak with newsmen.
Meanwhile, the PDP has refuted media reports that ist new chairman, Adamu Mu’azu is still being investigated for corrupt practices by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A statement issued by the party’s Natioanl Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh on Sunday reads, “Our attention has been drawn to mischievous and misleading publications in some sections of the media purporting that our National Chairman, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged misappropriation and embezzlement of state funds during his tenure as the Governor of Bauchi state.
“The said publications are completely false and baseless and part of the vicious scheme by the opponents of our party to distract our National Chairman from his determination and commitment to rebuild and reposition the PDP as the pre-eminent party in Nigeria.
“However, for the purposes of these opponents, the PDP wishes to state the following:
“That the true position is that at the end of his tenure as governor of Bauchi State, Governor Mu’azu, like many other governors who had completed their tenures, was invited by the EFCC to respond to some petitions. Governor Mu’azu was never invited again by the EFCC on any other issue.
“The succeeding government, elected on the platform of the defunct opposition ANPP in 2007 instituted a Panel of Inquiry which went ahead to issue a White Paper against Governor Mu’azu despite the fact that he did nor appear before it.
“In the exercise of his lawful rights, Governor Mu’azu challenged the entirety of the White Paper in suit no BA/295m/2009 at the Bauchi State High Court, No. 1. The suit was heard by no other judge than the Chief Judge of Bauchi State, Justice Mohammed Ibrahim Zango, who after hearing all the arguments, set aside the whole findings and quashed it into the dustbin of history.
“Consequently, Governor Mu’azu remains cleared of all allegations as contained in the said White Paper. It is then highly misleading for any person to make statements or sponsor publications purporting that Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu is under investigation or any form of trial whatsoever.
“We urge those behind such statements and publications to desist from such, bearing in mind that there is divine judgment for those who bear false witness against the innocent.
Governor Mu’azu, is duly appointed as the National Chairman of our great party and is totally committed to performing his duties irrespective of any attempt from any quarter whatsoever to distract or detract him from focus”.
