BudgIT co-founder suggests ₦10 billion crowdfunding for Peter Obi presidential campaign

Seun Onigbide, the co-founder and CEO of BudgIT, a Nigerian civic tech organisation, has suggested raising ₦10 billion through crowdfunding for the presidential campaign of former Anambra State governor Peter Obi.

Although Peter Obi has not formally declared for the presidency, he has, however, said he would be willing to contest if the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) decides to pick its candidate from southern Nigeria.

Onigbinde said crowdfunding a Peter Obi campaign will change the “dynamics” of Nigeria’s heavily moneyed politics.

“A ₦10bn GoFundMe for Peter Obi will be [a] great starter for those who want [to] crowdsource Nigeria’s next leader,” Onigbinde tweeted on Tuesday. “This will change the dynamics with the space hijacked by moneybags.”

Onigbinde’s tweet has gained over four thousand likes as of press time as many of his followers supported the idea. However, the idea of crowdfunding Obi’s campaign did not appeal to some.

The PDP has not publicly decided to pick its candidate from any part of Nigeria. But some of its most popular candidates are from the North.

Already, former senate president Bukola Saraki, former speaker and current governor of Sokoto State Aminu Tambuwal, both from the North, have already declared for presidency.

Atiku Abubakar, a former Nigerian vice president to whom Obi was a running mate in the 2019 general election, is expected to run again despite his age. He is opposed by Bauchi State governor Bala Mohammed who advised the former vice president to support a younger candidate.

Obi said he is grateful to have been chosen as Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 election, which was won by President Muhammadu Buhari, and that he will not oppose PDP’s choice of where it picks the 2023 presidential candidate from.

“At least in 2019 when I was involved, where I can say Atiku Abubakar chose me as his running mate, for which I remain grateful, the party decided that the candidate should come from the North,” the former Anambra governor said.

“And I believe that the party owes it a duty to declare their stand. If its stand today is South, be rest assured I am aspiring, if it says North, I can’t do otherwise or the party may decide to chose the option that everybody is free with and then, you will hear from me.”