Revealed: These two men funded Buhari’s campaign

Editor’s note: Fani-Kayode,a former Nigerian minister, a lawyer, politician, author, member of the PDP, in his latest essay, alleges that former governors Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state and his Rivers state counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi, funded President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign.

That whole ordeal almost ruined my life and my career but God was with me throughout and He delivered me from their evil because I had done nothing wrong. On 1st July, 2015, I was acquitted by a duly constituted court of law of all those charges and I give God the glory for that.

Yet the struggle continues. I am appalled at the behaviour of the EFCC in this latest matter but I am not surprised because they have had it in for me for many years.

Their almost obsessive interest in me and their motivation to destroy me is essentially political and partly personal and this has always been so. In short, just as was the case seven years ago, they are being used by the powers that be and by forces that are far above them. To that extent, I sympathise with them.

Yet if this is an attempt to intimidate, silence or distract me, they shall fail because I am not a coward and I do not fear them or those that sent them to torment me.

READ ALSO: Everything that I said about Buhari during presidential campaign has come true – FFK

And neither will I sit by idly and watch them trying to destroy me again. Their allegations are malicious and self-serving and there is no substance or truth in them. We did not run the presidential campaign organisation or my directorate with paper or hot air: We ran them with money. There is no crime in that.

A substantial portion of that money was paid by my directorate directly to the media for rallies, television, radio and newspaper adverts and jingles together with many other services rendered and we have all the records and documents to prove it. As stated earlier, those records have been duly submitted to the relevant quarters and they commended us for our work.

I did not run the directorate alone and I had, at least 10, deputy directors, assistant directors and sub-directors, who were all also appointed by President Jonathan, working under me.

I was responsible for the funding of each and every one of their various operations. Our entire team was dedicated and we all worked very hard because we believed passionately in our candidate and our party.

I have yet to hear of any presidential campaign organisation anywhere in the world that was run without any money and that was funded with just goodwill.

I might add that we spent far less money than the APC and the Buhari presidential campaign organisation because they had access to massive amounts of state government funds and they used those funds effectively. For every million naira we spent, they spent ten.

They even contracted the services of a famous American media consultant (the same one that President Obama used in 2008) and paid him ten million U.S. dollars for his counsel and advice. They had fleets of cars and buses whilst my Directorate was not even given one vehicle to get our people around.

The official jeep that was meant to have been given to us for our operations during the campaign was high jacked and it never arrived.

We were forced to use our own personal vehicles and we were glad to do so. Yet the other side had everything that money could buy. They even chartered numerous private jets throughout the campaign to get around the country. Where did they get all their funding from? Why is the EFCC not leaking stories or talking about that?

Instead of using the EFCC to try to rubbish me and my colleagues and smear our good names, those that are in power today should tell us where they got their campaign funds from and how much of it came from the Governments of Lagos and Rivers State.

The two people that headed those two state governments then are now both Federal Ministers today. One of them, who was the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, was specifically indicted by a Judicial Commission of Inquiry for using millions of dollars of state government funds to run the Buhari campaign, yet nothing happened and his reward was to be appointed as a Minister.

Again, what about the five billion naira cash that was flown down to Port Harcourt in Rivers State from Abuja in chartered plane a couple of days before the re-run election that took place on March 19, 2016. Where did they get that amount of cash from and what was its purpose and source?

What has the EFCC said or leaked about that? It appears that there is one law for those that are in power today and another for those that are not. Why persecute the innocent and leave the guilty? Was it a crime to fight and lose an election?

If Jonathan had not been a gentleman and if he had insisted on remaining in power at all costs or challenging the outcome of the election in court, would we have the peace that we are enjoying in our country today?

Have those that are behind all this nonsense forgotten all that so soon or is it that they are just drunk with power and they are on a mission of revenge? If that is the case, are they then worthy of the power that God has given them and should He not take it away from them before it is too late and they set the country on fire?

If there was any wrongdoing, can the EFCC honestly put their hands on their chest and say that those of us that were asked to do a job and given money to do that job knew anything about it?

Were we the ones that sourced the funds and were we expected to launch our own private investigation into where the funds came from before accepting to receive and use them for the job we were asked to do?

In their heart of hearts, they know that the answer to the two questions are both in the negative. Instead of going after the right people they wish to use the situation to embarrass and shame those of us that they see as the President’s political enemies and critics just to further defame, malign and humiliate us and destroy our future and careers.

READ ALSO: Fani-Kayode reveals all the truth about Jonathan’s campaign funds

This is vindictive, petty and wicked and, as long as the Lord is on the throne,  it will not stand. It is a very dangerous precedent and I sincerely hope that all stakeholders take note of the implications of what is brewing and going on.

It would be a very dangerous thing and utterly counter-productive for this government to open a can of worms and try to implicate innocent men and women, who were simply doing their job and who knew nothing about any wrongdoing or illicit and illegal transactions or bank transfers of public funds from or to government accounts.

I wish to remind them that they will not be in power forever. Sooner or later, the tables will turn and they themselves will be subjected to the malicious lies, false allegations, smear campaigns, injustice, brutality and persecution that they are presently subjecting others to.  It is only a question of time.

Now, let the Ancient of Days and He who never sleeps or slumbers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, judge between this government and all those innocent men and women that they are demonising and persecuting and that they seek to torment and destroy.

As long as Jesus is on the throne and our hands are clean,  no matter how long it takes, we shall prevail and, ultimately, they will pay a heavy price for their malice, injustice and wickedness.

These are facts and readers can be rest assured that I will say nothing different to this if and when I am formally asked by anyone or any agency. When the EFCC begins to leak their falsehood and sallacious allegations to their agents in the media kindly take note of the fact that, as usual, they will be telling tall tales and they will be lying.

Now, I challenge them to do their worst. I have no fear of them or of those who have sent them to do this dirty job. May God judge them all and may He reward them for their wickedness.

This article expresses the authors’ opinion only. The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Naij.com or its editors.

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