Jonathan Denies Spending N2trn On April
Election Campaign
President Goodluck Jonathan has denied
spending N2 trillion for election campaigns in
the just concluded general elections Premium
Times reports.
The presidency stated this in an official reaction to a
story published by Punch Newspapers that the
president was concerned about how campaign
funds were spent without the desired victory in the
polls and has called for a probe.
In stating the president’s stance, his spokesperson,
Reuben Abati, told journalists in Abuja that “The
President has not set up any committee as alleged
in that story. It is also not true that the Presidency
and the Peoples Democratic Party used state funds,
or spent N2 trillion during the campaigns.”
Abati, who did not disclose an official amount spent
by the presidency for the elections, alleged that the
story was meant to ridicule the president.
“We are particularly worried that since the March 28
and April 11 elections, some persons have
continued to work very hard to diminish the
Jonathan Presidency,” he said.
Jonathan lost the March 28 presidential elections to
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives
Congress (APC). The president’s party PDP also lost
the majority in both chambers of the parliament as
well as losing more state executive and legislative
positions to APC.
Front page of Punch
Read the full content of Abati’s statement below:
FULL TRANSCRIPT OF REUBEN ABATI’S
INTERVIEW WITH STATE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENTS ON THE SUNDAY PUNCH
FRONT PAGE STORY OF APRIL 19, 2015 TITLED
“JONATHAN DEMANDS N2tn ELECTION FUNDS
REFUND, AUDIT”
The front-page story of the Sunday Punch of April 19
alleging that the Presidency spent a whopping N2
trillion on the 2015 General elections, and that a
Committee of Five has been set up by President
Jonathan to conduct an audit of how the funds were
disbursed by party members and state officials is
mischievous, false and embarrassing.
The President has not set up any committee as
alleged in that story. It is also not true that the
Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party used
state funds, or spent N2 trillion during the
campaigns. The innuendoes are wrong-headed; the
motives behind the story are suspicious.
The story alleges, for example, that the Presidency
spent N2trillion on elections and embarked on a
money-sharing spree to party members, support
groups and state officials. The authors of the story
and their self-appointed megaphones further
insinuate that public funds were deployed in this
regard. Their allegation of a theft of public funds is
extremely malicious.
How much is the budget of the Federal Government
of Nigeria? The annual budget of the Federal
Government is a little over N4 trillion. The story is
practically suggesting that half of the federal budget
was spent on elections. This kind of reckless
insinuation is meant to incite the public and
instigate national crisis.
With FAAC having to do everything possible every
month to ensure disbursements and with the
Federal Government heavily committed to the war
against terror in the North East, where is the alleged
N2 trillion from the Federal purse? President
Jonathan and the People’s Democratic Party
conducted the 2015 elections in strict accordance
with the rule of law. The suggestion of any unlawful
conduct cannot be sustained under any
circumstances.
President Jonathan has done his best to protect and
strengthen democracy and promote peace. He justly
deserves all the accolades that he has received from
both Nigerians and the international community for
this. Certain persons and interest groups may not be
happy that his profile has further risen and that his
legacy is assured; but they do their country gross
disservice when they act so unpatriotically.
Anyone who is engaged in imposing a crisis on the
country by any means is not being fair to Nigeria.
We can only appeal to the public to be wary of such
reckless tactics now on display, which form the
substance of an odd, malicious campaign after the
elections.
We are particularly worried that since the March 28
and April 11 elections, some persons have
continued to work very hard to diminish the
Jonathan Presidency. They need to be reminded that
the time for politics is over; it is now time to focus
on the in-coming government, with emphasis on
national development and moving the country
forward.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President (Media and
Publicity)
