Presidency Denies Buhari Govt Spent $1bn On Election

The Presidency has rejected claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari spent $1 billion on the 2019 election withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA).

Naija News reports that the PDP had on Sunday called on Buhari to investigate the disappearance of one billion dollars withdrawn from the ECA in 2017 and meant to address the nation’s security challenges.

Reacting in a statement, Buhari’s media aide, Garba Shehu, described the allegation by the main opposition party as unverifiable.

The presidency said: “PDP thinks that all governments in the world run on the basis of freewheeling looting as they did their own.

“It’s on record that the Buhari administration paid about 490 million dollars for a dozen Super Tucano fighter aircraft in a direct, government-to-government (no Contractors or Commission Agents) transaction with the government of the United States.

“Various other military procurements have been made. Balance of expenditure stands at about 880 million dollars or so.

“The PDP spent Defence procurement funds on their failed 2015 political campaigns as proven in court.

“That is not to say every succeeding government, more so one led by a Buhari will do the same.”