The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the N21 billion the party raised recently in Abuja was meant for all the projects being executed by the party and not for President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign.

There has been widespread criticism against the funds raised in December, which was said to have been raised for President Jonathan.

At a news conference in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Monday, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees and the Jonathan Presidential campaign council, Professor Jerry Gana, explained that the central aim of the fund raising was to empower the party to complete a building and other projects.

“The second is to empower the party to campaign for its candidates and not for the president alone but for others. The presidential candidate has the right to raise funds for his campaign quietly,” he said.

Professor Gana told the reporters that he was not the chairman of the fundraising committee, but expressed belief that President Jonathan would want to do it quietly, being a humble Nigerian.

He further said the permutations and discussions going on in the media were not correct, insisting that the funds were for PDP projects.

•Text courtesy of Channels TV. Photo shows Jerry Gana.