Lagos PDP Asks INEC To Disqualify Ambode Over Campaign Spendings

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos State chapter, on Sunday, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Akinwunmi Ambode.

The PDP accused Ambode of breaching Section 91 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), which stipulates a maximum of ₦200,000,000 as fund permitted to be spent by a governorship candidate in an election.

PDP in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Taofik Gani, said according to intelligence report, Ambode has spent over ₦6.7 billion in campaigning for election in the state.

The party also accused the incumbent Governor Babatunde Fashola of flouting the Electoral Act and INEC rules on civil campaigns by always attacking its governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje, at APC rallies.

"Consequently, the PDP has called on EFCC to interrogate Ambode whilst demanding that INEC should summarily disqualify him from contesting at the polls."

The PDP said its intelligence team detected that Ambode had spent at least ₦6.7 billion on campaign strategies placed as: employing expatriates, board adverts, radio and television Jingles, souvenirs, vehicles and campaign houses etc.

"These, we assert, have been made possible by the over ₦32 billion Local Government funds for three months now diverted into the Ambode campaigns."

The party also claimed that Fashola had deployed all government property and paraphernalia to support Ambode.

Such property, according to PDP, include "BRT/Lagbus; footbridges, government offices, roads, state media outfits to mention a few.

"We are not worried that Ambode’s campaign is aggressive. It in fact suggests that the APC has nothing to be comfortable about in their governance for 16 years.

"We are, however, uncomfortable because Ambode has spent over ₦6.7 billion on his campaigns and this fund is made available by Fashola, who is now starving the Local Government Councils.

"Fashola is very unfair to Lagosians. He has abandoned governance and is now attending rallies with Ambode. Laughably, he does not see any achievement to mention at such rallies but to cast aspersions on our candidate, Jimi Agbaje. He has deployed all state advantages to support Ambode. We call on well meaning Lagosians to condemn this action."

Source: Daily Post