2023 ELECTION: PETER OBI RECEIVED N596M DONATIONS, SPENT N744. 5M ON LITIGATION- YESUFU. (PHOTO).

 2023 election: Peter Obi received N596m donations, spent N744.5m on litigation – Yesufu

The fundraising team for the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation has disclosed that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, expended N744,500,000 on litigation following his loss in the 2023 presidential election.

Obi polled 6,101,533 votes to emerge third in the February 25, 2023 presidential election won by Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Obi and the LP, however, rejected the election results as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

He launched a legal battle and challenged the poll results up to the Supreme Court, which eventually on October 26, 2023 upheld Tinubu’s election.

The campaign organisation also received donations totalling N596m from party supporters, Obidient movements and well-meaning Nigerians across the globe.

This was disclosed by the Chairman of the fundraising team, Aisha Yesufu on her “X” handle.

The total income generated was N1,395,976,994 and total expenses was pegged at N1,395,213,389. 

The development comes in the wake of the internal crisis and corruption allegation rocking the leadership of the opposition party.

The National Treasurer of the party, Oluchi Opara had accused the LP National Chairman, Julius Abure, of misappropriating an alleged N3.5bn raised from the sale of nomination forms and fundraising activities for the 2023 general election.

The crisis took another dimension on Wednesday when the party slammed a six-month ban on the treasurer for failing to appear before an investigative panel set up by the NWC.

In the financial statement released, Yesufu said polling unit agents were mobilised with N324m.

Campaign materials worth N268,374,330 were procured and distributed across the 36 states and also in Abuja. Media, including radio broadcasts, was at the cost of N16,422,867.

For the election promotion expenses, the party had N10,808,948 and deployed N744,500,000 to cover legal expenses.