BY VICTOR BUORO – In keeping with his promise of transparency and accountability in the receipt and management of campaigns’ funds for the 2023 presidential elections, the Labour Party (LP) flag bearer, Peter Obi said donations totalling N595,976,994.00 were received from well-meaning Nigerians to prosecute the exercise.
This is as the Obi/Baba-Ahmed Presidential Campaign Organisation also disclosed that about N744,500,000.00 was expended as legal fees and related matters that were litigated in courts over the 25th February 2023 elections.
The Chairman of the Fundraising Team of the Campaign Organisation, Aisha Yesufu, who unveiled the income and expenditure profile at the fundraising report presentation on Thursday, said having requested people to donate their hard-earned money for the campaigns, “Accountability and transparency are very critical and important.”
She said that based on the trust Nigerians reposed in the Obi/Baba-Ahmed team, the Campaign Organisation has deemed it necessary to come back to them with appreciation and also explain how their money was judiciously spent for the purpose it was meant.
While expressing gratitude to many Nigerians who donated in cash and kindness to the Campaigns, the political activist and businesswoman disclosed that; ”From the donations from citizens, we received N595,976,994. This is the money we raised from the four accounts that we have talked about.
According to her; ”We also received N800,000,000 from the candidate himself (Peter Obi)”, adding that to ensure transparency and accountability, “We designed a strategic blueprint focused on channelling the movement energy and support for Peter Obi and Datti Ahmed with different support groups.”
Similarly, she said; “We provided direct and indirect support to over a hundred support groups across all 36 states in Nigeria. We also deployed media-related campaigns that reached over 11 million people, leveraging over 40 radio stations, community outreach, and social media. We would have loved to use Televisions and all of that, but because of our financial constraints, we were mindful of being judicious in our usage of the funds that we received.
”So, out of these things, campaign materials worth N258,374,330 were procured and distributed across the 36 States and also in Abuja. Media and radio broadcasting was at the cost of N16,432,867.”
Addressing issues around the election promotion expenses, Aisha stated that the sum of N10,808,948 was spent from the purse, while ”For Polling Unit Agents, we spent N324,381,700. And then, of course, we had bank charges of N1,750,544. We also had administrative charges of N477,000.
Aisha, who co-founded the popular #BringBackOurGirls Movement, said the Campaign team also “deployed N744,500,000 to cover legal expenses” while other campaign and election activities gulped over N28,500,000.
A Global Thank You Tour Coming Soon!
In a related development, the Labour Party Standard Bearer and former Anambra State Governor, PeterObi disclosed during the press briefing in Abuja, that the Obi/Baba-Ahmed Presidential Campaign Organisation is planning to undertake a Global Thank You Tour that will go across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, as well as the Diaspora.
