FORMER National Legal Adviser to Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr. Bitrus Gwada, yesterday exonerated himself and eight other members of the Presidential Advocacy Group under former President Goodluck Jonathan administration from the controversy surrounding the arms deal fraud.

He said only elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Chief Tony Anenih, can account for how the N63 million meant for the group was spent.

Chairman of the Northern Elders Council (NEC), Alhaji Yakassai, earlier said that he only received N53 million from Anenih on behalf of the Advocacy Group to visit all the traditional rulers in the 19 northern states and other stakeholders in order to douse the tension before the conduct of the 2015 general elections.

Anenih, who was quizzed by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigating the $2.1 billion arms purchase fund said recently that he gave Yakassai N63 million from the money he collected from the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, for advocacy visits to northern traditional rulers ahead of the 2015 polls.

Reacting to the issue, Gwada said yesterday that, “I have read the report concerning Chief Tony Anenih’s N63 million allegation and that of Tanko Yakassai. Friends and relations have called me saying that Alhaji Yakassai had disclosed that I was one of those he requested to be on the Presidency’s advocacy group.”

Gwada added that he agreed to meet Yakassai in Abuja over a national issue concerning the last elections.

“He wanted me to join a presidential advocacy group to meet socio-cultural faith-based NGOs and traditional rulers in the 19 northern states to solicit for their support during the elections in view of the tension in the land at that time.”

The Arewa chief argued that he only agreed to be part of the group when Yakassai told the members that, “the work of the group is not to campaign for any political party rather, it is to ensure that there is peace in the land for the election to hold.”

“I will not join issues on the N63 million or N53 million; because Anenih said he gave Tanko Yakassai N63 million and Yakassai has responded that he collected only N53 million. What I am saying is that I never collected any money from Chief Anenih. It is a matter only between Anenih and Alhaji Tanko Yakassai.”