APC accuses NCC, telecom companies of blocking campaign funding initiative

An initiative by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to raise campaign funds using SMS, ringtones, and scratch cards is being scuttled by the National Communications Commission, NCC, the party alleged Wednesday. 

At a press conference organized by the party, the APC said that the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP-led federal government is using state-owned institutions to stifle opposition.

“There seems to be an orchestrated plot to prevent us, the All Progressives Congress (APC), from using the new platforms of SMS, Ringtones and Scratch Card to raise funds for our electioneering campaign,” Lai Mohammed, the APC’s National Publicity Secretary said.

On Tuesday, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State had unveiled five platforms through which interested Nigerians can make monetary contributions to the Buhari-Osinbajo campaign.

According to Mr. Fashola, who is the Director of the APC Fund-Raising Committee, the party is partnering with major telecommunication companies in the country – MTN, Glo, Etisalat, Airtel, and Visa phone – to enable party supporters make donations as low as N100.

In addition to banks and e-payments, the fund raising options include downloading ring tones, sending premium text messages to designated numbers, or simply purchasing a recharge card.

“As you can see, apart from the first two platforms (banks and e-payments), the remaining, that is SMS, Ringtones and Scratch Card, are totally dependent on the telecommunications service providers,” said Mr. Mohammed. 

“Not once has the telecommunications regulatory body, the National Communications Commission (NCC), prevented these individuals and corporate entities from using the last three platforms for these legitimate publicity and promos.”

Mr. Mohammed said that though the fund-raising platforms unveiled by the APC is legitimate, the government is uncomfortable with it.

The NCC had directed telecommunication service providers to desist from running political/advertisement promotions that would portray them as being partisan, threatening to sanction anyone that flouts the directive.

By issuing the directive, the NCC was seeking to block the APC’s ability to use the platforms of SMS, Ringtones and Scratch Cards to raise funds, according to Mr. Mohammed. ...PremiumTimes