Posted by By Charles Ozoemena on
PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday denied ever receiving any sum or sums of money from Governor Orji Uzor kalu of Abia state towards his election in 1999.
ABUJA - PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday denied ever receiving any sum or sums of money from Governor Orji Uzor kalu of Abia state towards his election in 1999. The President made this clarification following claims that he Kalu contributed over $1 million to the campaign of President Olusegun Obasanjo for the 1999 election.
Kalu also said that he gave N500 million to the PDP for the elections. However in a swift reaction yesterday he said that the Abia Governor was telling lies and challenged him to produce who he gave the monies to.
Media Spokesperson to President Obasanjo, Mrs. Remi Oyo addressed State House correspondents on behalf of the President stressing, 'I want to say categorically that President Olusegun Obasanjo did not receive any donation personally towards his election in 1999 from Governor Orji uzor Kalu.
You will recall that the Peoples Democratic Party, like all other parties in the contest, had campaign offices and so if Governor Kalu contributed to that campaign office that is certainly not equivalent that he gave certain sum of money to the President".
The President challenged Governor Kalu to declare public who he gave the money to, adding, 'and I believe that Governor Kalu if he gave money to any individual towards that election then he should make the identity of such a person known. If indeed he gave such money to the campaign office then the governor would or should have a receipt. But I would also ask you ladies and gentlemen to recall that the president said emphatically then in 1999 and I think he also said that before his re-election before 2003 that anyone who seeks to contribute towards his election must see it as part of service to the political party rather than an investment. It is not an investment if you decided to make a contribution to a worthy cause. Again to repeat, for emphasis, President Olusegun Obasanjo did not collect any sum or something towards his election from Governor Orji Kalu of Abia state.
Oyo, however, pointed out that from the onset on his decision to contest the 1999 election President Obasanjo did say that whoever contributed to his election should see it as a service and not as an investment. She reiterated the transparency of President Obasanjo and his resolve to engage a fight to finish war against corruption.