Jonathan demands N2trn election funds refund

Following the defeat suffered by President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, during the March 28 and April 11 elections, the President has asked the party and government officials who handled campaign funds to refund monies not spent, or those not judiciously expended.

Jonathan has also set up a committee of five to get those with the funds to return them. Sources within the party and government revealed that President Jonathan was disturbed that despite giving campaign coordinators, ministers, special advisers, close aides and friends, support groups and traditional rulers over N2trn in cash, most of them could not deliver their polling booths and local governments.

The President was said to have been further irked by the results of an investigation he ordered. The probe showed that some coordinators used campaign funds to buy very expensive properties, especially in Abuja, and luxury cars. Some of the funds have also been traced to the bank accounts of senior party and government officials who were charged with the disbursement of funds to voters and groups.

A source who is a close associate of the president said monies given to traditional rulers in different parts of the country, for example, would not be demanded for. But the source was quick to add that the President was determined to get his ministers, close aides and special advisers to make refunds.

It was learnt that the funds Jonathan released were disbursed in three phases. Some were released before the March 28 elections, others on the day of the presidential election and more before the April 11 governorship polls.

Already, the committee of five has started asking some of the campaign coordinators and ministers who received a minimum of N20bn each to give an account and also refund residual funds where applicable.

However, most of the people who received the funds had not cooperated with the committee. While some have not been forthcoming, others have simply ignored the committee.

Jonathan is said to be particularly focusing on the South-West and northern states.

In Lagos, a popular PDP chieftain who lost in his polling booth reportedly received $50m in cash a few days before the governorship elections.

A senior PDP party member who spoke to Punch in Lagos over the weekend confirmed the cash splurge in Lagos. 

 

The source said, “Lagos was a show of shame. A few days to the governorship poll, about $150m was received in cash by about five top campaign coordinators. But they failed again, even more than we did in the presidential poll because we lost some areas we won on March 28 to the APC on April 11. They were to share this money to the local governments and the masses.”

“Please understand me, I am saying that the sum of $150m was just for the governorship election in Lagos. We are not talking about the sums they got for the presidential election. Only one out of the five people that shared the money gave some of it to local government chairmen. This person disbursed about N2bn. The rest of them sat on the money.”

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