Group asks ministry for contracts to fund Buhari’s campaign

Buhari Campaign Organisation, a political group, has asked the ministry of power, works and housing, for a contract to fund the campaign for President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the letter dated September 20, signed by one Abba Ali, national patron, and two others, the group asked for a project for the supply and installation of road signs along federal highways.

It demanded that the contracts should be given to eight companies which had been of financial assistance to the organisation.

The group said the contract, which forms part of the 2018 appropriation act, will “cushion the financial pressure” on the organisation as it takes its campaign for the president to the six geopolitical zones.

The listed companies were Heridam Worldwide Limited, Maysu Construction Ltd, Honeygate Engineering Company Ltd, Extended Global Services Limited.

Others were Ajibako Mulilinks Nigeria Limited, Maizamam Multiresource Limited, Authentic Consulting Firm Limited and Timdek Ventures Nigeria Limited.

When contacted, Hakeem Bello, spokesman of Babatunde Fashola, the minister, told TheCable that he did not have the information.

In his reaction to the letter, Festus Keyamo, spokesperson of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, said the president will never make use of public fund to campaign for the 2019 election.

Keyamo said the group is not known to Buhari and it does not have the president’s mandate to solicit funds from public institutions.

He added that the recognised campaign team is the President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, which is headed by Rotimi Amaechi.

“The attention of President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation has been drawn to a letter making the rounds by one self-styled “Buhari Campaign Organisation”,” the statement read.

“The letter is addressed to the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing soliciting for jobs for certain named companies in order to “cushion the financial pressure on the Organisation”. The letter was signed by three named individuals.

“Let it be known to the general public and all unsuspecting individuals and organizations that the said letter DID NOT emanate from President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation nor was it authorized by it. The said “Buhari Campaign Organisation” does not have the authority or mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari to solicit or raise funds from public institutions, corporate bodies or individuals for any campaign activity whatsoever.

“This is also a notice to all such public institutions not to honour any such requests as the one from the amorphous “Buhari Campaign Organisation.

“We also wish to re-iterate for the umpteenth time that President Muhammadu Buhari and his campaign organisation WILL NOT have recourse to the public coffers or public funds to run the campaign. We intend to make a complete departure from past practices of the main opposition where they looted the public treasury to run their campaigns.”