2023: Obi’s Camp Denies Claims Of Campaign Funds Diversion

The camp of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has denied claims of the diversion of campaign donations and rift in the party.

Naija News reports that Obi’s media office was reacting to a report that the former Governor of Anambra State and some LP members were at loggerheads over the diversion of funds donated to the campaign.

In a statement on Sunday, the media office said there was no truth in the report of inter-personal rifts between personalities and party structures.

The statement stated that all party campaign departments, programmes and organisers are working in seamless synergy to ensure the victory of its presidential candidate.

The statement reads: “Our disposition at the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation has always been not to give any prominence to gutter reports, especially coming from obviously enlisted hirelings, but we are constrained to make an exception in recent reports on social media and other fora, of not only inter-personal rifts between personalities and structures in our stone-cast team because of the premium we place on accountability and transparency as a reformist movement and also to disable any criminal attempts to confuse the public on our official donation platforms,” the statement reads.

“We need to state that there is no iota of truth in such publication, all persons, departments and programmes of the Obi-Datti Campaign and the Labour Party are working in seamless synergy, towards providing a government that will meet the desires of the overwhelming majority of Nigerians, at the next elections.

“The official payment platforms for those who wish to donate to our cause, are those available on the official website of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign website, https://www.obidatticampaign.com, and are perfectly in tune with the law, and designed for swift, secure, effective and transparent transaction.”

The media office said campaign donations to an account tied to a retail payment provider, Ativo Ltd, were sanctioned by Obi and the use of the provider was deliberately to encourage transparency, effectiveness and professionalism in the process.

According to the media office, Ativo has also released a statement debunking insinuations that Obi is the owner of Ativo.

It said: “We will not for any reason, be distracted by concocted trash from the evil machinations of jittery opponents.

“Our commitment remains unshaken, in setting examples for probity, and in pursuing relentlessly, victory for our popular candidates in the Presidential and indeed, in all the coming elections.”