Jonathan Wants FFK, Okupe, Others to Explain How they Spent Campaign Funds

When Global Village Extra revealed in one of it's exclusive stories a few weeks ago titled 'Femi Fani-Kayode In Trouble Over Alleged Embezzlement Of N150m Campaign Fund', many of the supposed special advisers attacked this news medium, stating that the story lacked facts and credibility.

But more facts, which were revealed, recently have proved that the Global Village Extra story was not only true, but was factually based.

In that report, our impeccable sources revealed that some staff at the office of Chief Fani- Kayode are mad at the former aviation minister over an alleged 150 million naira put aside for online news campaign ads.

FFK, as he is being addressed by the Nigerian public, was at the center of the party's vicious attacks on the major opposition, the All Progressives Congress, APC prior to the general elections.

“Chief Femi is going to be in trouble if the president hears about this,” exclaimed our source who pleaded anonymity for fear of being persecuted.

According to the source, trouble started when monies meant for online news advertisement was suddenly diverted for other purposes.

Among the other purposes the money was used for, according to our source, is that N50 million of the money was allegedly given by Mr. Fani Kayode to his circle to go and establish a parallel online news website.

The idea behind the 'fake' online website is to have a media name when retiring the 150 million allocated for online news advertisement.

“If you enter there you will see confusion korokoro as many people are just bringing in one proposal after another.

“My guys are telling me that he is just dishing out money to whoever he likes and not who can do the job,” our source lamented.

“Chief Femi Fani-Kayode's cynical attitude is consistent with what is going on in the Jonathan administration.

“Many of the so called loyalists don't care if he wins or loses, they just want to grab whatever they call 'their fair share of the National cake', and leave Jonathan hanging,” declared our source.

Now, the president is livid with anger following further findings which revealed that not just FFK was guilty of the embezzlement, the President's Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe was also allegedly involved in gross mismanagement of campaign funds.

In fact, a reliable source informed that Okupe is in serious trouble with Jonathan who gave him a sum of $100 million to mobilize two political parties in the southwest, Labour and Accord Party who have agreed that President Jonathan is their joint Presidential candidate.

Okupe is said to have allegedly pocketed the money and embarked on a spending spree buying expensive houses and cars.

Sources are now saying that President Jonathan has directed that all campaign funds must be accounted for.

This is also corroborated by another report, which states that the President has already set up a committee to get those with the funds to return them.

According to a report in the Sunday Punch, President Jonathan is disturbed that despite giving campaign coordinators, ministers, special advisers, close aides and friends, support groups and traditional rulers over N2tr in cash, most of them could not deliver their polling booths and local governments.

An investigation ordered by the president is said to have revealed that the likes of FFK, Okupe, and other coordinators used campaign funds to buy very expensive properties, especially in Abuja, and luxury cars.

But the Presidency has denied the allegations. A statement issued on Sunday evening through presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati stated that: “the front-page story of the Sunday Punch of April 19 alleging that the Presidency spent a whopping N2 trillion on the 2015 General elections, and that a Committee of Five has been set up by President Jonathan to conduct an audit on how the funds were disbursed by party members and state officials is mischievous, false and embarrassing.

“The President has not set up any committee as alleged in that story. It is also not true that the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party used state funds, or spent N2 trillion during the campaigns. The innuendoes are wrong-headed; the motives behind the story are suspicious.

“The story alleges, for example, that the Presidency spent N2trillion on elections and embarked on a money-sharing spree to party members, support groups and state officials.

“The authors of the story and their self-appointed megaphones further insinuate that public funds were deployed in this regard. Their allegation of a theft of public funds is extremely malicious.

“How much is the budget of the Federal Government of Nigeria? The annual budget of the Federal Government is a little over N4 trillion. The story is practically suggesting that half of the federal budget was spent on elections. This kind of reckless insinuation is meant to incite the public and instigate national crisis.

“With FAAC having to do everything possible every month to ensure disbursements and with the Federal Government heavily committed to the war against terror in the North East, where is the alleged N2 trillion from the Federal purse?”