The N20 million largesse of Dr. Ngozi Olejeme to the Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has triggered crisis.
Olejeme, a governorship hopeful in the state, became one of the frontline contenders in the race to succeed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2015, after her dashing entrance ignited a theatre of political war in Delta North Senatorial District.
The aspirant, the chairperson of the Board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, had peacefully donated the money before pandemonium broke out among youths and women supporters.
The aspirant, who stormed the newly commissioned ultra-modern party secretariat in Asaba with her teeming supporters hours after the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mua’azu, departed, sandwiched the money in two medium size ‘Gana-must-go’ bags and one other lesser bag, dropped them the feet of the state Chairman, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi.
She explained that N10 million is for the traditional breaking of Kolanut, while the other N10 million should be used to furnish the secretariat and put finishing touches to the new edifice.
Shortly after the money was donated, the youths immediately positioned themselves to share in the largesse.
Olejeme said she was at the secretariat to notify party leaders of her intention to succeed Governor Uduaghan next year.
Nwaoboshi, flanked by his Secretary, Chief Solomon Ogba, and other top party leaders, after eulogising Olejeme for taking out time “out of your tight schedule” to visit, were shocked to hear discordant voices from some stern-looking party supporters in dark-goggles and women in party attire, who demanded for an immediately sharing of the money.
According them: “Delay is dangerous.”
They recalled what happened in 2007 when Chief Peter Okocha donated similar money but till date, where, when and how the money was shared was unknown.
The pandemonium that broke out immediately the donor left saw some of the youths threatening fire and brimstone on the sharing fomular.
They openly called on the exco members who went upstairs with the money, not to only sort out the largesse names but define it.
One of them said: “We will shake this secretariat today.
“We won’t leave here until we are settled.
“Gone are those days when they play on our intelligence.
“We will scatter this place.
“The exco cannot eat the money alone and leave us out on the field as foot soldiers.”
The youths and hundreds of women that were mobilised to receive Olejeme, who waited anxiously downstairs, defied the threats and intimidation of gun-totting policemen, threatened dire consequences in the October 25 council polls should they be left out of the sharing.