On Saturday, December 20, sums in excess of N21 billion were raised in support of President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid. However, the president was careful to say at the event that the money would not be spent on his campaign alone but the entire PDP campaigns.
A breakdown of the sum credits the Chairman at the event, businessman Tunde Ayeni, with donating N2 billion on behalf of himself and his friends; oil and gas sector N5 billion; Jerry Gana and co N5 billion; Real Estate and Building sector, N4 billion; Transport and Aviation sector N1 billion; PDP governors N1.05 billion; the 15 states on the board of NDDC N15 million each; Power sector 500 million; Food and Agriculture N500 million; Construction N310 million ; National Automotive Association N450 million; Shelter Development Limited N250 million ; while PDP stakeholders in Rivers State donated N50 million.
Expectedly, the event has not gone unnoticed. It has, in fact, left a sour taste in the mouth of many Nigerians. Questions are being asked on the propriety of the sums donated, and whether our laws permit such open display of wealth and patronage. There have been calls, too, for a thorough investigation of events at the fund-raiser, including full disclosures of the identities of the people behind the donations, and how well they are fulfilling their tax obligations. The view has also been expressed that appropriate sanctions be meted out to those among the donors who flouted some of the nation’s electoral laws by their action to serve as deterrent to others who may want to toe a similar line in future.
Though it must be acknowledged that the presidential form of democracy which we practice is very expensive everywhere in the world, there is something obscene in the way this event was held and the mindboggling sums raised.
Section 91 Subsection 9 of the Electoral Act 2010 (As amended) provides that no individual or other entity shall donate more than N1 million to any candidate in an election. Subsection 10 states that “a candidate who knowingly acts in contravention of this section of the Act commits an offence and on conviction shall be liable- (a) in the case of a presidential election to a maximum fine of N1 million or imprisonment for one month or both.”
Subsection 11 adds that any individual who knowingly acts in contravention of the section shall on conviction be liable to a maximum fine of N500,000 or nine months imprisonment or both.
The Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) ( Cap. 59, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990) in Section 38(2) provides that: “A company shall not have or exercise power either directly or indirectly to make a donation or gift of any of its property or funds to a political party or political association or for any political purpose ; and if any company in breach of this subsection makes any donation or gift of its property to a political party or political association , or for any political purpose, the officers in default and any member who voted for the breach shall be jointly and severally liable to refund to the company the sum or value of the donation or gift and in addition, the company and every such officer or member shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine equal to the amount or value of the donation or gift.”
The Electoral Act in Subsection 2 of Section 91 also pegged the amount of money a presidential candidate can spend on his campaign at N1 billion. Contestants must abide by the provisions of this Act and when they breach it, as appears to be the case at this fundraising, appropriate sanctions should be applied by the relevant authorities.
There is something very immoral and unethical in a political party raising so much money to fight elections in a country where the average citizen lives on a dollar or less a day. There is also the disturbing idea of agencies of government that are presently failing to meet their mandates on the donors’ list. What are the power and the aviation and transport sectors, to name a few, doing on the list, when they have repeatedly failed to meet their obligations to the masses of this country? Are their donations to turn our eyes and that of the powers-that- be away from their present shortcomings?
Chief Tayo Ayeni, Chairman at the event, just won the bid to buy our storied and well-endowed NITEL. Could this be a payback of some sort? To be honest, his and other donations raise questions about the propriety of a sitting president receiving campaign donations from the people and organisations with which his government has business. This could further lend weight to accusations of corruption and nepotism, especially in the power sector.
The seeming monetization of the political space which these donations represent is an unwelcome development and is not in tune with the sacrifices which government is asking the generality of the citizens to make in light of the dwindling oil price in the international market. Limiting donations to candidates by individuals and corporate entities is the practice in all advanced democracies. Doing otherwise could lead to the hijack of political office holders and the government by persons who pumped humongous funds into their campaigns.
Nigeria is on the threshold of a very important election and we should not create the impression that we are not ready to meet the challenge. The campaigns we seek are those of issues and development, not cash and carry.
