Oby Ezekwesili publishes campaign finances

Former presidential candidate of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN, Oby Ezekwesili, has released her campaign finance breakdown showing the income and expenditure between October 1, 2018, and February 2, 2019.

Despite pulling out of the presidential race about a month to the poll, Ezekwesili spent about N48 million in a space of five months for the 2019 presidential campaign.

The spokesperson of the Obiageli Ezekwesili Presidential Campaign Organisation, Ozioma Ubabukoh, said via a press statement that she withdrew from the race to build a viable coalition.

“This decision followed extensive consultations with leaders from various walks of life across the country over the past few days. I deem it necessary for me to focus on helping to build a veritable coalition to ensure a viable alternative to the #APCPDP in the forthcoming elections,” Ubabukoh had said.

The breakdown published on Ezekwesili’s campaign website show she raised N48,957,416.00, $17,645.00, and £200 between October 1, 2018, and February 2, 2019.

During that period, the campaign spent over N12 million on travels, N10.6 million on media and publicity, and another N15.3 million on “campaign mobilization fees, meeting and logistics costs”.

Printing of campaign posters and other materials cost the campaign a total ₦ 1,222,920.00, the breakdown shows.

Ezekwesili said ₦2,435,609.81, $12,634.50, £200.00 are left in the campaign bank account.

In a country where campaign finances are absolutely opaque, the move by Ezekwesili to publish her the financial record drew applause from many.

However, the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Gani Galadima, who had earlier led party leaders to disown Ezekwesili and adopt the candidacy of President Muhammadu Buhari, alleged Ezekwesili of mismanagement of campaign funds.

Galadima said that the statement of account she sent was unacceptable.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, ACPN chairman charged her to emulate other candidates as regards transparency in campaign funds, stating this case was not the #BringBackOurGirls project which she championed.

“It is the right of the party that must submit report on campaign fund and expenditures to have all the information in the spirit of transparency and accountability in line with (s.92(3)) of the Electoral Act as amended,” Galadima said.