TVC E. Former minister of state for Defense, Musiliu Obanikoro was on Wednesday, December 7, quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly receiving N450million from Adewale Onilere, the coordinator of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation in Lagos state, during the countdown to the 2015 presidential election.
It was gathered that the N450m was part of the N23bn ($115m) allegedly handed to the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 36 states of the federation by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
A source in the anti-graft agency revealed to newsmen that Onilere, the incumbent chairman of PDP in Shomolu local government, received N650m from the campaign organisation out of which N450m was delivered to Obanikoro in his house.
Onilere gave Obanikoro the money in the presence of some PDP leaders, the source claimed.
The source noted that Obanikoro denied receiving money from Onilere when he was invited for questioning, and was later released due to the administrative bail condition the ex-minister currently enjoys.
However, he disclosed that the EFCC will in two weeks from now invite Obanikoro and Onilere to its office to face each other, as he hopes both men will co-operate with the anti-graft agency.
When contacted, Onilere denied delivering N450million to Obanikoro at his house.
Obanikoro and his two sons, Babajide and Gbolahan, are currently under a separate investigation involving N4.7bn which was allegedly diverted from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The ex-minister told the EFCC that after receiving the money, he handed N1.3bn to the then governorship candidate of the PDP in Osun state, Senator Iyiola Omisore; while N1.219bn was given to Fayose through his aide, Agbele.
Obanikoro was said to have converted a remainder of the money into $5.377m and handed it to Fayose at Spotless Hotel, Ado Ekiti, in the presence of the then Ekiti state PDP secretary, Tope Aluko, and other party stalwarts.
However, the ex-minister is believed to have kept about N785m for himself, an action which is said to have angered Fayose.
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