…Allegedly Funded Elections in 5 States; Kogi, A/Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, 1 Other State
…How Funds were Allegedly Transferred to Diezani’s Group, Others
By The New Diplomat Political Intelligence Desk
With attention fixed on how former controversial Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke’s business ally and promoter of Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited, Jide Omokore allegedly used his companies to scam the Federal government to the tune of $1.6bn in an alleged crooked SAA-NNPC deal, fresh revelations have emerged as to how Omokore blew a whopping N2.5bn in four states in the South-South geo-political zone and Kogi state during the Peoples Democratic Party’s primaries and actual elections in 2015 targeted at building strong political followership.
Sources confided in The New Diplomat that following the Federal government’s close up on Omokore, documents have revealed how Omokore allegedly spent N2.5bn in three South-South states in the build up to the PDP’s primaries and the actual elections. One of the states fingered was Akwa-Ibom State where Omokore allegedly contributed a whopping sums to aid a particular candidate in the primaries and actual elections in 2015.
A source within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) revealed that Omokore blew so much funds in politics in these states:”We are investigating and we have been able to track the movement of some funds to some politicians…during the 2015 governorship polls. That is all I can say for now.” Investigations reveal that in that in some of the states in question now, Omokore got the National headquarters of PDP to station some of his men on ground to help conduct the primaries and the Primaries went Jide Omokore’s way.”
It would be recalled that The New Diplomat was among the first newspapers to blow the lid off the alleged 1.6BN fraud for which Omokore and his companies are currently facing trial for reportedly scamming the Federal government in an alleged dubious Oil business deal called SAA-NNPC Partnership. Under the arrangement endorsed by Diezani both the NPDC and Atlantic Energy entered into a Strategic Partnership Operations on OML 56. An insider confided in The New Diplomat that Omokore may have become a scapegoat in the whole messy Oil deal as he was largely acting on the instructions of powerful political figures in the last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.” I think it is a pity that Jide is really suffering now because he didn’t act alone. All those transfers where did they go? Where did they end up? Where are those he helped politically.”
Omokore, is facing a nine-count amended charges of alleged criminal diversion of funds to the tune of $1.6billion alleged to be proceeds of petroleum products belonging to the federal government. He is being prosecuted alongside Victor Briggs, Abiye Membere, David Mbanefo, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts by the EFCC.
