The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, whose diaspora engagement took place consecutively as he held events in different cities, speaking to Nigerians living abroad. From Germany to Italy to Canada, London and the USA, it has been days of interaction, consulting and bringing the people abreast to the problem with the country and his vision in salvaging it.
Nigerians in diaspora intended to fund Obi’s campaign. In addition to that, the Labour Party Chairman Julius Abure inaugurated an 11-man committee on diaspora affairs. The Diaspora Committee will be in charge of “raising funds and to drive the party’s Diaspora movement” he said.
This move has raised eyebrows as the party is accused of violating the electoral law. The Committee was inaugurated after those in diaspora announced their readiness to open a portal for crowdfunding campaign, targeting “$150 million from Obi’s supporters in the diaspora and N100 billion from those in Nigeria.”
In a statement, the Tinubu-Shettima Connect, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to, “without delay, disqualify the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.”
The group also threatened legal action saying that it is “illegal to raise campaign funds from abroad through unknown sources or unidentified groups”
Citing the Constitution and the electoral law, the group stated that, “inauguration of a diaspora committee by the leadership of Labour Party to gather campaign funds from Nigerians in diaspora for Obi’s presidential campaign was not only illegal but also criminal”
The Progressive Clan, another group, in a statement, asked INEC to intervene in the matter.
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“To be clear, these acts are an affront to the sacred provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act,” the group said.
“They are unlawful and the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) must arrest illegalities immediately to assure Nigerians that the 2023 elections would not be influenced from outside in any form.”
Looking at the extant laws through the prism of a layman, the electoral law and the Constitution state that “no political party shall hold or possess any funds or other assets outside Nigeria; or be entitled to retain any funds or assets remitted or sent to it from outside Nigeria.” The law did not expressly stipulate the category of the diaspora funding it prohibits nor does it prohibit candidates from receiving such funds. It stated that a presidential candidate can only spend N5 billion. Rather, the law gave INEC “power to place limitation on the amount of money or other assets which an individual can contribute to a political party or candidate…”
Outside Nigeria could be a different country or organisation not affiliated with Nigeria.
In response to these allegations, Peter Obi stated that, “Nobody has given me anything,” “That is speculation. What I need is not what they would give me. But what they would give Nigeria, because we need them to turn around Nigeria.
“This is the energy, the capacity that we need to turn around Nigeria. Every country that was turned around, was done by the diaspora. Even in the Bible, Joseph who left later came back to feed his people.”
Regardless of the sinister moves by the groups sympathetic to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, the party encouraged diaspora fundraising in the past elections. It is preposterous to say that the Nigerians who are already deprived of participation in Nigeria’s politics and in choosing Nigerian leaders are also deprived in contributing to the campaign.
Should the country disown their own people simply because they are currently living outside Nigeria? Do they also reject the about $20 billion yearly remittances through which they contribute to the country’s GDP?
Nigerian politics leading to the 2023 presidential election is becoming increasingly desperate. Fearing that the Labour Party and its presidential candidate may have advantage and enough funds from the diaspora people to challenge the status quo, the ruling party may want to activate a law that they contravened in the past to scare people from donating money to their candidates of choice.
Provided that the gates of Nigerian shores are not locked against its citizens who reside in another country, they can sponsor through the many organisations in support of their preferred candidate. Numerous events also need to be sponsored.
Campaign donations prohibited by the law could be prosecuted but the Labour Party and the flag bearer are not ready to contravene that. The people are in this election to win not to flout any law.