The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said that the purchase of N45 million naira presidential nomination form for President Muhammadu Buhari to re-contest in the 2019 election violates the stipulations of the electoral laws of Nigeria.  PDP also said that the purchase of the form for Buhari by a group it said is not registered smacks of fraud because, according to it, “Buhari can no longer play the pro-poor gimmick which his followers have always presented to Nigerians.”

THE Presidency,
yesterday, kept mum on the allegation that President Muhammadu Buhari would be violating the provisions of Electoral Act in accepting All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential nomination form valued at N45 milllin presented to him by a group of supporters.
The presidency’s quietness was, however, matched by a fiery response from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which asked the president to, in the spirit of decency, reject the form from the group, Nigeria Consolidation Ambassadors Network.
Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar, who also received the PDP’s N12 million form from a coalition of groups, yesterday, claimed not to have violated the law in his case.
“They donated money in trickles. The fact is that we have picked the form and we have dropped the form,” Atiku campaign spokesman, Segun Sowemimo, said yesterday.
Presidency officials charged on the issue, yesterday, parried comments on the issue, which is believed to have violated section 91 (9) of the Electoral Act, which prescribes that no single individual or group should make a donation of more than N1 million to a presidential candidate.
Director of Communication of Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, could not be reached on the matter, yesterday, as he was said to be abroad. An email sent to him was yet to get a response at press time.
However, the PDP in its response articulated by its spokesman, Mr. Kola Ologbondinyan said: “Nigerians are aware that the very expensive personal effects, including posh jewellery daily paraded by his close relatives betrayed the gimmick of using an unregistered group, pieced together to execute another failed pro-poor stunt to sway Nigerians.
“Since President Buhari has not publicly disowned the purchase of the form by the group, the PDP charges INEC to, within the next 24 hours, hold him culpable and make him to face the appropriate sanctions for the violation of electoral laws.”

He didn’t violate
any law—APC
Reacting to the development, yesterday, APC through its acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, said there was no contravention of the Electoral Act as it cited a difference between a candidate and an aspirant in a contest.
The party also expressed concern that no reference was inferred to Atiku Abubakar who also received a form from a group.
The party said: “Aside from the fact that there is a world of difference between an aspirant and a candidate in the eyes of the law, there has been no contravention of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended).
“The Nigeria Consolidation Ambassadors Network, NCAN, was responsible for the purchase of the presidential form for President Muhammadu Buhari and has indicated that it acted as a collection medium to aggregate micro contributions from thousands of Nigerians keen to ensure his re-election.”
“While we restate that as a political party, All Progressives Congress, APC, mandate observance and compliance with the dictates of the law, we also acknowledge that this singular act by thousands of Nigerians severely jolted the ranks of opposition politicians and their paid agents in the media hence their desperate attempt to tar such a noble gesture with the brush of illegality.
“This is especially the case considering the loud silence when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar enjoyed the same gesture for his supporters to purchase the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms for the 2019 presidential election.”

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