Former president Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday said it is an act of criminality for politicians to use public funds for campaign. Mr. Obasanjo who spoke at the campaign rally of Ogun State governorship candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tunji Olurin in Ilaro, that the candidate is a man of integrity.
“It is an act of criminality at all levels of government for public funds to be used for campaign. It is an act that should be discouraged, public funds are meant for development of the people not as campaign fund,” the PDP Board of Trustee Chairman said.
The state governor, Gbenga Daniel who said he was still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party{PDP} was conspicuously absent at the rally, but his group’s factional chairman, Joju Fadairo and Pegba Otemolu, the secretary, were in attendance. Notable leaders of the party also in attendance include; Dayo Abatan, Titilayo Ajanaku, Jubril Martins-Kuye, Doyin Okupe, Femi Majekodunmi and Kayode Amusan, among others.
The former president called on all members of the party who recently defected to the Peoples Party of Nigeria{PPN} to return, pointing out that PDP is one family.
He assured them that they would be warmly welcomed. “Let us embrace all, within PDP there are plenty rooms, we still have lots of things to share together, and so don’t let your efforts end up in vain,” he said.
Mr. Obasanjo added that all those who return should not be labelled “decampees or returnees, because our party is of the same family, we would accept them and they should not waste time in returning.”
The campaign team of Mr. Olurin had in a statement distributed at the rally alleged that the state governor, was using state funds to promote the Peoples Party of Nigeria {PPN} where his loyalists recently decamped to.
The statement signed by Lai Labode, the Media Committee Chairman alleged that “Information reaching us has hinted about subterranean moves by Governor Gbenga Daniel to cleverly divert a huge amount of public fund to the campaign efforts of his political godson, Gboyega Isiaka, the purported governorship candidate of his fledging party.
“According to the alleged scheme, the governor is about to raise a whooping N500 million from the already lean coffers of the 20 local government areas of the state for this nefarious purpose,” the statement said.
But in a swift reaction, the Peoples Party of Nigeria {PPN} said, “We want to state unequivocally that nothing can be farther from the truth. Indeed the statement is borne out of the fear of looming and certain defeat that is now starring the gubernatorial candidate of PDP.” The Publicity Secretary of PPN, Raheem Ajayi added, “For the avoidance of doubt, the PPN is being funded by the contributions of its committed members and friends who are appalled by the brazen injustice meted to our candidates who freely and fairly won the mandate that was stolen by those parading themselves as the candidates of the PDP.”
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