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LP to Open Campaign Portal for Obi

Prof. Pat Utomi, a leader of the Labour Party, LP, has said that portals allowing Nigerians living in Nigeria and overseas to contribute money to the campaign of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will be established next week.

Utomi, a professor of political economy, revealed this while appearing on Channels Television Politics program. 

He said there was nothing improper about Nigerians abroad contributing money to political campaigns in Nigeria, noting that he had benefited from such contributions when he ran for president.

“When the time is right, the diaspora will give money. They have always given money to campaigns. I ran for president before and got support from the diaspora in 2006 and 2007, then when I ran in 2011.

“When the time is right, we will solicit from Nigerians across the board. We are setting up portals where people can give money.

“These portals are not up yet. They will be up next week or so, and eventually, we will be able to access resources from the diaspora for sure.

”But right now, we are on a sensitisation tour about what makes democracy work. Right now, Nigeria’s democracy is not working because of the transaction costs involved and the trade-off that has to be made,” Utomi said.

When asked if giving money from overseas to support political campaigns violated any rules already in place, Utomi responded that nothing should prevent the funding of political rallies from the diaspora.

He said: “I am completely aware of what the law says. If we open a portal,  Nigerians who want to support what we stand for should contribute to it.

”If you say Nigerians abroad can’t go to a portal and contribute a dollar and those at home, you have prevented them from voting.

“Every other African country manages to allow their diaspora to vote – Ghana, Kenya, everybody.”

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