The APC Governors And The N800 Billion Tinubu Re-election Campaign Funds -By Hadiza Mohammed

When I heard in the news that the forum of the All Progressives Congress governors set aside a whooping sum of N800billion for campaign towards the re-election of Bola Ahmed Tinubu I wept. N800billion tax-payers money was deducted at source and kept aside for the purpose of sponsoring an individual’s election. It is unbelievable! And the fact that the so-called “progressives” (if there is anything progressive about them) made it open means that they did not see anything wrong in using state resources for private ends. Again, I say, it is unfortunate.

When the All Progressives Congress (APC) regime came to power in 2015, their mantra was: war against corruption. And eleven years down the line, the world can testify that this regime is more corrupt than any other in the history of this country. In the global corruption index, Nigeria ranks as number one. The British Prime Minister describes Nigeria under the APC regime as “fantastically corrupt”. The government is profligate and fritters public funds on frivolities while accumulating debt and pushing the citizenry to abject poverty and misery.

The action of the progressives governors forum of setting aside state funds for the purpose of supporting Tinubu’s campaign indicates that the these governors have the entrenched habit of spending unappropriated funds. And this is illegal and an impeachable offence. The law stipulates that the state house of assembly must appropriate funds before approval and disbursement. Spending unappropriated funds is an abuse of due process and this corruption. The governors are apparently emulating Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has notoriously violated due process countless number of time by awarding contracts to companies where he allegedly have vested interest. One example is the N15trillion contract for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway awarded to Hi-tech, a company belonging to Gilbert Chagory, a longtime ally of his.

This obviously has been their normal conduct. This case leaked to the public because one of so-called progressives’ governors allegedly tampered with the collected funds. And it was made public because the governors knew they are not accountable to anybody, not even to the electorates. The governors and those in power see the citizens as their subjects who should worship them and accept whatever they do: good or bad. That is why they address the people as “ordinary citizens” who have no rights or privileges. Regrettably, nobody is talking; nobody is sensitizing the public. The pressure groups and the so-called rights activist have all been bought. Civil advocacy is dead in Nigeria under the APC regime.

Unfortunately, our “almighty” anti-graft agencies, good at hounding those in the opposition parties will not investigate this case because of those involved. They only go after the small fries and those the presidency want out of the way.

The Akpabio-led National Assembly has proved to be the weakest and the most compromised in the history of Nigeria. The NASS has failed woefully in its oversight function. It has failed to curtail the excesses of the Presidency and its agencies. It has made itself an appendage to the presidency, approving every bill and frivolous requests from the profligate regime. Tinubu has committed many unpardonable infractions and impeachable offences but all have been swept under the carpet because members of the National Assembly have failed to carry out the duties constitutionally assigned to them. This negligence no doubt has created a situation that has embolden the Presidency to rule with autocracy.

Undoubtedly, setting state’s funds aside to support Tinubu’s campaign means that the state governors prefer to serve Tinubu to those that elected them. And the fact that Tinubu has not made any statement condemning this illegality is an indication that the whole fraud had Tinubu’s approval ab initio. The APC governors has shown lack of awareness of the needs of the people that they are meant to govern. The Tinubu’s election campaign should not be the priority of the average Nigerian citizens groaning under the weight of Tinubu’s lack of vision and ill-conceived economic policies. The priority of the average Nigeria now is the revamping of the state economy that will improve the wellbeing of the citizens and national security that will ensure that everyone live in peace without fear and not the perpetuation of a regime that brought pain and misery on the people.

Clearly, the deduction and diversion of state funds for private use by the APC governors means that they see state funds as their personal resources to be dispensed at will. Our governors wait for monthly FAAC allocation; which they will collect and after paying salaries and a few recurrent bills, stash the rest away for election purposes. So, instead of the governors working to uplift the welfare of the people, they only think of the next election. This is the reason behind the poor performance of our governors especially those of the APC fold.

Indeed, I am outraged that Nigerians did not speak out as they should to condemn this obvious infraction by the APC governors. Besides, using state funds to sponsor an individual’s election should be a violation of the electoral law and should not be condoned under any circumstance. Nigerians should not fold their arms and allow our unscrupulous politicians use our common wealth to fund their elections and perpetuate themselves in power to the detriment of the nation. Nigerians as the 2027 general election beckons be vigilant; you must vote for the change you want or forever remain silent. The choice is yours!

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK