The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday distanced himself from groups raising funds for his 2023 election campaign.
The groups, many of which are outside the country, had allegedly set up machinery to raise funds for the former Vice President ahead of the election.
BASIC FUNDS
- Atiku Abubakar has distanced himself from groups raising money on his behalf for the 2023 presidential election.
- There have been groups claiming to raise fund for Atiku Abubakar campaign, some of which are in the diaspora.
- Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour party have also been associated with the news of campaign funding donations from Nigerians in diaspora.
WHAT WE KNOW
Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate for February presidential election has distanced himself from groups allegedly raising money on his behalf.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, the PDP candidate declared that he did not authorise any fundraising event to be held on his behalf.
The PDP candidate warned the general public not to deal with such groups and monies collected are not for him.
NOTBLE QUOTE
The statement reads in part, “The general public is hereby notified that the aforementioned Atiku Abubakar Business Supporters in Diaspora (AABSID) is not in any way affiliated or related to Atiku Abubakar and the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, and has not been mandated or authorised in any way whatsoever to represent the candidate or his campaign in any matter whatsoever.
“In line with the foregoing, any person or organisation dealing with the aforementioned Atiku Abubakar Business Supporters in Diaspora (AABSID) and/or its Campaign Coordinator/President or indeed with any other organization for the purposes of raising funds for our presidential candidate does so at their own risk and responsibility.”
COMMENTARY
The PDP presidential candidate and his campaign has been battling internal party fighting since he won the party’s primary elections in Abuja, and certainly does not need another controversy.
Recall that Peter Obi of the Labour Party has similarly denied receiving money from the diaspora. However, unlike Atiku, Obi did not necessarily condemn such move, he rather made a case for the diaspora participation.
Mr Peter Obi have continuously made a case for the participation of diaspora Nigerians in the electoral process locally in Nigeria. He has also variously discussed the importance of these diaspora Nigerian in the economic development of the homeland.
Clariform notes that the 2022 Electoral Act does not allow for foreign funding of elections in Nigeria. However, the Act did not directly or by any necessary implication outlaw the donation of Nigerians living abroad.
The position of the Act on campaign funding did expressly or indirect refer to donations from Nigerians as a type of foreign funding of campaigns. The provision of the Act on foreign funding has not been subjected to any court interpretation.
Therefore, there is no clear legal position on the issue as at the moment, on whether donations from Nigerian living abroad qualify as foreign campaign funding, though some opinion have said it does not.
It is our stand at Clariform that diaspora voting and funding should be considered as an important part of our democratic development.
