2019: PDP, Atiku facing difficulties in raising funds – APC

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, are facing serious difficulties raising funds for the 2019 election campaigns due to the stringent measures put in place by present administration.

APC’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yekini Nabena, said in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday that available information from the PDP’s recent strategy meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirate, revealed that there was a major setback as the hope of sourcing campaign funds from public coffers was dashed.

It stated that the current administration was different from the last government when the National Treasury was opened to PDP leaders to prosecute the presidential campaign.

“The presidential candidate expects the party to provide funds for his campaign. This is the Buhari era, an era of strict accountability and transparency in the use and application of public funds.

“The party leaders are therefore in serious difficulties and dilemma on how to source funds to run the Atiku Presidential Campaign. With the candidate’s expectation that it is the party that will fund his campaign, it is now clear that they are at a crossroads and the chickens have come home to roost,” Nabena said.

But in a swift reaction, the spokesman of the former Vice President, Paul Ibe, dismissed the APC’s notion.

Ibe, who said the forthcoming presidential election would not be about money, added that the supreme will of Nigerians would prevail.

He said, “Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come. Nothing can stop the zeal of Nigerians to elect the President of their choice. This election will not be won by money or lies or propaganda or intimidation but by the supreme will of the Nigerian people as expressed in their votes.

“Atiku Abubakar will be elected as President by Nigerians in February 2019 notwithstanding the machinations of the APC-led administration,” he stated.