Abuja-based company drags PDP to court over campaign debt

An Abuja based company, Silon Concepts Limited, has dragged the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and two officials of its Presidential Campaign Organisation before an FCT High Court, Abuja for their refusal to pay for the outstanding sum of N70m, being balance for a campaign contract.The plaintiff, in a suit marked CV/2017/15, is demanding for full payment for the ‘voice SMS campaign broadcast’ it sent to voters on behalf of the PDP Presidential candidate, former President, Goodluck Jonathan, before the March 28, 2015 presidential poll. Aside the N70 million balance, the plaintiff is also praying the court to order the defendants to pay it the sum of N15million as the cost of the suit.

 

The plaintiff prayed the court as follows: “An order compelling the defendants to pay the plaintiff the sum of N70m being the outstanding balance for the contract executed by the plaintiff for the defendants.

“An order compelling the defendants to pay N15m, being the cost of the suit.

“An order compelling the defendants to pay the bank an annual interest rate of 10 per cent on the sum of N70m until the said sum is fully liquidated.”

According to the plaintiff, the PDP, through Ali, agreed to pay it N100m for a contract of sending ‘Voice SMS campaign broadcast’ to eligible voters as part of the campaign for the party’s presidential candidate.

In the statement of claim filed by one B.I. Dakum of the Festus Keyamo Chambers and the supporting affidavit deposed to by the Managing Director of Silon Concepts Limited, Mr. Sylvester Odion, the plaintiff averred that the PDP only paid N20m as initial payment instead of N30m as agreed, stating that the N20m was paid to the plaintiff by Usman through a cheque of a company, Joint Dimension Nigeria Limited, whose account Usman was the sole signatory to.

Odion stated that the PDP had agreed to pay the full balance for the contract to his company before the election.

Odion’s affidavit read in part, “That I know the plaintiff’s offer was accepted by the defendants on March 5, 2015, wherein it agreed to pay the plaintiff the sum of N100m only for the project.

“That I know that the terms of its engagement as clearly highlighted in the defendant’s letter of engagement, the approved sum of N100m only were to be paid before the kick-off of the project but only the sum of N20m was released to it for the takeoff, with the promise to pay the balance before the 2015 presidential election.

“That I know the said sum of N20m was paid to the plaintiff by 3rd defendant (Usman) through a cheque of a company known as Jointrust Dimension Nigeria Limited of which the 3rd defendant is the sole signatory.

“That considering the calibre of the persons involved the plaintiff had no cause to doubt the credibility of the offer.

“That the plaintiff went ahead and executed the project successfully with continued assurance from the defendants the balance will be made available in no distance time.

“That the defendants failed to honour their words and could not pay the balance and the plaintiff made demand (letter dated March 26, 2015) for payment of the balance through the office of the then 1st defendant’s Chairman, Board of Trustees and Adviser, Presidential Campaign Organisation (Chief Tony Anenih).”

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