2023 election: Obi received N596m donations, says Aisha Yesufu

The fundraising team for the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation has said Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), spent N744,500,000 on litigation following his loss in the race.

Obi emerged third in the February 25, 2023 election, polling 6,101,533 votes, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was announced the winner.

But Obi and the LP rejected the election results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission and headed to the court.

On October 23, the Supreme Court confirmed the victory of Tinubu in the election.

The campaign organisation said it received donations worth N596m from party Obidient movements and well-meaning Nigerians across the globe.

This was revealed by Aisha Yesufu, the Chairman of the fundraising team, on her “X” handle.

The total amount generated was N1,395,976,994, and the total expenses were N1,395,213,389.

This disclosure of the campaign funds comes after the internal crisis and corruption allegation rocking the party.

Oluchi Opara, the party’s National Treasurer, had accused the LP National Chairman, Julius Abure, of embezzling an alleged N3.5bn realised from the sale of nomination forms and fundraising activities for the 2023 general election.

On Wednesday, the treasurer was slammed with a six-month ban for failing to appear before an investigative panel set up by the NWC.

Yesufu, in the published financial statement, said polling unit agents were mobilised with N324m.

She said campaign items worth N268,374,330 were purchased and distributed across the 36 states and Abuja. Media and radio broadcasts were at the cost of N16,422,867.

Yesufu added that the party used N744,500,000 for legal actions.