From all indications, campaign for the 2019 general elections will not be awash with cash as was the case in the run up to the 2015 elections.
Although
the polls, especially the presidential one, will be fiercely fought and
maybe the most keenly contested in the annals of Nigeria’s politics,
with the gladiators throwing in everything to win the big prize, Sunday
Telegraph’s investigations reveal that the campaign may be “dry”,
particularly money wise.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) set the
ball rolling last month when President Muhammadu Buhari launched his
Next Level Campaign at the Aso Rock Villa with a lot of fanfare.
Only few weeks ago, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo joined the fray by first crisscrossing the country, handing out “trader moni” to market men and women and then becoming more formal with his door-to-door campaign which has already taken him to Abuja and Lagos.
The wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, is not left out as she, on Wednesday, launched: “Together Nigeria”, where she honoured some prominent Nigerians in the entertainment industry. The award, she said was in recognition of their contributions to the development of the country.
However, it was the Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) that was actually behind the awards.
The
opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) too was not left out as it
flagged off its campaign with its “Getting Nigeria to Work Again” last
month.
The party then kicked off its rally in Sokoto, seat of the
Caliphate, before stopping over in Ilorin, Kwara State and followed it
up in Ibadan, South Western part of the country early this month.
Nevertheless,
after this initial flurry of campaign activities, there has been
silence from both camps, which is a bit surprising, considering that the
presidential poll takes place in eight weeks time.
But those who should know told Sunday Telegraph that the “pause” in both camps was actually caused by cash crunch.
“The
money is not coming in as expected. By now, Atiku would have mobilised
massively for the campaign, have road shows and what have you,” a source
close to the campaign of the former Vice President confided in Sunday
Telegraph.
It was reliably learnt that for many of those who would
have come to the aid of the opposition party by donating money, the fear
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is the
beginning of wisdom. “They are afraid of the EFCC coming after them.”
A PDP governorship candidate in the South West, who spoke with one of our correspondents, confirmed this when he said that his friends, organisations, that believed in his cause, said: “They are afraid of being hunted and victimised by the ruling party. Most of those who would have funded our campaign are shying away from doing that.”
Another source said: “The party (PDP) is no longer in power. Naturally, you do not expect the party to have much. The contributions for a campaign are done by people close to the candidate, organisations, individuals and others who believe in him. The party will also put in some things. They have the governors. But the main campaign will be done by him, whether he (Atiku) likes it or not.
“Businessmen, organisations even some foreign concerns are what they lean on. A South West governor, in 2003, made an initial deposit of N1billion of his own to run his campaign.”
But the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP and a member of the Presidential Campaign Council, Kola Ologbondiyan, dismissed the claim. He said, “It is not correct. We believe that in 2019 elections, it is not only about our party, it is about the resolve of Nigerians to vote out President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Nigerians are eager to contribute money to Atiku’s campaign. Nigerians in their multitude are willing to donate their money, they are ready to donate their vehicles. Nigerians are saying they are ready to bring their N100, to support the campaign of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who understands the plight of Nigerians, who is going to stop this bloodletting. It is the will, not about money.”
Another official who is close the candidate himself, also insisted that when the time was right for Atiku’s campaign to take off in earnest.
“I can assure you that money will not be an issue when we are ready to go full blast,” said the official, who, however, declined to say if his principal would be footing most of the bill.
“Atiku is running for the presidency on behalf of the PDP, so he will naturally have the full support of the party,” he explained.
On the part of the APC, sources who spoke with Sunday Telegraph said that the lull in campaign is as a result of Buhari “starving” the party of funds, as he has “sworn not to use public fund for campaigns.”
Spokesperson
of the APC Presidential campaign, Festus Keyamo, alluded to this when
he said, “No more bazaar for election. By now, there should have been
bazaars everywhere. I apologise even to the press, for the press bazaar,
fortune tellers’ bazaar, women’s bazaar. But this president has calmed
things down. This is a departure from the past. We should praise the
president for it.”
On the timing of the giving out of the “trader moni”, Keyamo dismissed the allegation that it was for campaign purposes.
“I
will answer this question with a question: ‘Was the You Win campaign
bribery to the people?’ Let them answer it. Was You Win a grass roots
programme and social intervention a bribe to the people? Any answers
they give to You Win, let them give it to Trader Moni.”
Speaking with
Sunday Telegraph separately, APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr.
Lanre Issa-Onilu, went even further to say that the era when the Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was used to provide money for the ruling party
had gone.
“President Buhari has made it expressly clear that he will
not allow such under his watch! And we (the party) totally agree with
him.
“It is wrong for people to send notes to the CBN and take
out huge sums of money to share to market women, chiefs and others just
in order to win election.”
When asked if this is what has stopped the
ruling party from going into full campaign mode, Issa-Onilu, who
assumed office in October, insisted that funding was not the issue.
“No its not money, we are still brain storming and holding meetings in order to come up with the best possible campaign for the party. In fact, before the end of the week, we should be able to unveil our campaign programme to Nigerians,” he told Sunday Telegraph.
On how the campaign would be funded in view of the President’s disposition to using government money, the APC spokesman said they would be using every legitimate means to generate the funds they would be using for the campaign.
Issa-Onilu also explained that the billions the party realised from the sale of its forms for elective positions, is what is being used to run the affairs of the party right from national to state and local government levels.
