Pressure on probe of Buhari campaign funding grows

Civil rights group, The Peoples Forum, PF, has joined the demand for investigation into the alleged funding of the campaign of the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).

The Forum also called for the probe of the purported endorsement of Buhari for the 2015 presidential election by the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).

The spokesman of PF, Elias Kaka, said in Lagos, at the weekend, that the probe of the funding of Buhari’s campaign was necessary despite the denial by the Buhari Campaign Organisation, in order to put the records straight.

“Despite the denial that Buhari’s campaign is not being bankrolled by some unnamed Arab countries, there is the need for thorough investigation on the matter against the backdrop of the extant security challenges and the purported islamization of the country by some faceless groups”, the spokesman said.

Last year, Boko Haram had agreed to dialogue with the Federal Government only if such dialogue be held in Saudi Arabia and Buhari be appointed as an intermediary.

This had raised dust and suspicion of a likely Arab connection.

But the Buhari Campaign Organisation denied being funded by any foreign organization, dismissing as ‘laughable’ reports that he was awaiting funds from unnamed Arab establishments/countries to prosecute his campaign.

Kaka said the endorsement by MEND lent credence to the suspicion to the growing concern for further investigation.

“On Tuesday, the spokesman of MEND, Jomo Gbomo, in a statement, claimed that the militant group had endorsed Gen. Buhari for the 2015 presidential election, launching a scorching attack on President Goodluck Jonathan,”the PF spokesperson said.

“But President Jonathan has dismissed the alleged endorsement of Buhari by MEND, saying no person who means well for the country should be excited by the endorsement of a terrorist organization.

“Despite this, the issues need thorough investigation to set the records straight considering the insecurity challenges the country is being faced and in order to avoid heating up the polity. The election is around the corner, anything that will set the country ablaze must be avoided”, the PF said.