The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged a shadowy group was used as a front to purchase the N45 million presidential nomination form of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election.
Describing the development as a “worn-out stunt, smacking of fraud”, the PDP said it has the potential of worsening the image of the President.
In a statement on Thursday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said President Buhari can no longer play the “pro-poor gimmick” which his followers have always presented to Nigerians.
The statement said, “Already, our people are daily confronted by the flaunting of affluence and material wealth by the President and those around him, while betraying and abandoning millions of poor Nigerians who, unfortunately, put their trust in him in 2015.
“Nigerians are aware that the very expensive personal effects, including posh jewelries daily paraded by his close relatives betrayed the gimmick of using an unregistered group, pieced together to execute another failed pro-poor stunt to sway Nigerians.
“Moreover, the PDP urges the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to note that the purchase of the N45 million form by the group directly violates section 91 (9) of the Electoral Act which provides that “no individual or other entity shall donate more than One million naira (#1,000,000) to any candidate.”
“Since President Buhari has not publicly disowned the purchase of the form by the group, the PDP charges INEC to, within the next 24 hours, hold him culpable and make him to face the appropriate sanctions for the violation of electoral laws.
“Finally, it is unfortunate that President Buhari and his handlers, in their desperation to hang on to power, even when they have been rejected, have reduced themselves to objects of public ridicule with their many bloopers ahead of the 2019 general elections”.