Even before the commencement of the presidential primaries of the opposition party All Progressives Congress (APC), former vice president Abubakar Atiku has splashed about N16.4million on Katsina APC, that included N50,000 each to the state’s 208 delegates.
Atiku, who is one of the frontline presidential aspirants of the APC, gave the money yesterday when he visited Katsina State to lobby delegates preparatory to the party’s presidential primary election.
Speaking at the Katsina State APC Secretariat, Atiku said he viewed the APC in Katsina State as an orphan, because the party is not in government. He then announced the donation of N5 million to the state secretariat, N1 million to the elders of the party, and N50,000 each to the 208 delegates.
“APC in Katsina Sstate is an orphan. I said this because it is not in government. I have seen the condition of the secretariat; so in my capacity as one of the elders of the party, I give the party secretariat N5 million, the elders N1 million and the delegates N50,000 each,”
He added that he was confident of winning the primary election, while stressing that “the time for consensus has gone, because it is too late for the process of consensus”, adding that the best thing for the party was to go for the primaries.
In a short speech, the Katsina State APC chairman, Dr Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa, extolled the virtues of the former vice president and said “Nigeria needs the likes of Atiku”.
LEADERSHIP Sunday recalls that the Katsina State chapter of APC recently endorsed General Muhammadu Buhari for the party’s presidential ticket.
The national publicity secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, could not be reached last night for his comment, but a source in the party said it is not proper for an aspirant to promise delegates money.
“If what you just said is true, it is wrong for any aspirant to promise delegates money. We are trying to create a level playing field for all the aspirants and we frown at such practice,” the source said.
Justifying the action of the former Vice President in Katsina, his media spokesman, Garba Shehu in a statement said “all party leaders, including Atiku, make contributions to party development and this is more compelling in states where the party does not have control of the government.”
According to him, “donations to party are routine. There is no scandal in that, especially for someone like him, who is not dipping his hands in government treasury to get the money.”
Shehu stated that Atiku “makes donation of a standard sum of N5million for the running of the party in all non-APC-controlled states that he visits. These donations are announced publicly at the meetings which take place at party offices. In some states, they get assistance to buy buses or furniture items for their offices. Some party branches do not even have offices, and they call on party leaders to help, and the Turaki as much as possible pays his dues to the party.”
Atiku’s spokesman added that the Turaki’s “audiences, in all cases, are made up of stakeholders who come from distant places. Some of them may be delegates. If there is a little sum that they are given, in an open interaction, to fuel their cars and pay hotel accommodation for the night, what is there to make noise about?”
He added that “someone here is either trying to be mischievous or naive. I think it is insulting to the delegates in Katsina or anywhere to say they can be bought with N50,000.”
Electoral Act Frowns At Inducement During Election – Lawyers
Some lawyers in the country yesterday said the Electoral Act frowns at any form of inducement during elections.
Reacting to the news, an Abuja-based lawyer, Ismaila Alhassan, who spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday last night said, Section 124(1) of the Act does not support inducement while seeking for votes.
According to him, it is a criminal offence under our law to induce voters while campaigning for votes or during election.
“Our laws do not support inducement. In fact, it is a criminal offence. Our laws totally frown against it,” Alhassan said.
Another Abuja-based legal practitioner, Jimoh Adedeji, said politicians in the country should be careful not to flout electoral laws. “No doubt, inducement during electioneering or voting is a criminal offence. It should be totally condemned and not encouraged,” Adedeji said.
Source: Leadership
