2023: Can the crowd fund Peter Obi’s campaign?

Peter Obi

BY SEGUN FATUASE

At a time politicians are building their war chests and seeking other ways to influence the political process, Seun Onigbinde, a fiscal transparency advocate and open data analyst believes crowdfunding would level the financial playing ground for Mr Peter Obi, a likely Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections. Already influential and prominent politicians including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Peoples Congress (APC) , Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (PDP), former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim and Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu are believed to be ready to spare nothing financially in their bid to scale the primaries of their parties and subsequently the election proper.

Seun Onigbinde, BudgIT co-founder from the NGO sector, apparently trying to ensure a level playing field in the democratic process, suggested the idea to those rooting for Peter Obi, to go beyond urging him to throw his hat in the ring and launch a campaign to crowdfund N10 billion for his presidential ambition. Onigbinde said the novel idea, at least in this clime, would entail the opening of a GoFundMe account and lay the foundation of the funding of Obi in the 2023 presidential elections.

According to him, many Nigerian youths deem the former governor competent to lead the nation out of its current economic woes. “A N10bn GoFundMe for Peter Obi will be great starter for those who want crowdsource Nigeria’s next leader. This will change the dynamics with the space hijacked by moneybags,” he tweeted on Tuesday.

“For the records, my tweet is “for those interested” and want to make a big statement. It’s not an endorsement for Peter Obi”, Onigbinde was quoted as saying.

Onigbinde’s idea comes a day after Financial Times of London pegged the cost of electing a president in Nigeria at $2 billion, about N1 trillion. It is also coming at a time Nigerians are seeking a democratic way of financing a political party and creating a sense of ownership and participation of members.

Obi is touted as a good material with the required yardage to make a meaningful difference. But there is a seeming reluctance in the man who was on the same ticket with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the Vice-Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election. Obi, on several occasions, said he would only declare his intention to join the 2023 presidential race if his party, the PDP agreed to zone the ticket to the South, in the spirit of justice, equity, morality and good conscience.

Peter Obi comes forth as a honest, humble and prudent leader, judging by his stint as Anambra State governor from 17 March 2006 to 2 November 2006, when he was impeached and from 9 February 2007 to 29 May 2007 after his impeachment was overturned. It is on record that his renovation of schools and hospitals and the empowerment of children, youths and widows stand out in Anambra State till date.

National Convener of a socio-political organisation, Movement for the Election of Nigerian President of Igbo Extraction, Mr Vincent Ezekwueme, last Saturday in Enugu emphatically said Obi should throw his cap in the ring based on his national acceptance and due to his prudent management of public funds as well as selfless service to various sectors of the economy, irrespective of state, religion or ethnicity.

“Obi, a former governor of Anambra, changed politics from transactional to transformational and attuned himself as a servant-leader to the people.

“It is pertinent to note that Obi is not only honest and transparent but also humble, selfless and fanatical when it comes to the welfare of the citizenry.

“It is on record that his renovation of schools and hospitals and the empowerment of children, youths and widows stand out in Anambra till date. “Obi is the person Nigerians need as their president in other to actualise Nigerian of our dreams, hopes and aspirations,’’ he said.

Obi, the PDP Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2019 Presidential polls, in a recent online interview is definitely not averse to contesting the presidential seat in 2023. The only condition he gave was that he would only declare his intention to run as a presidential aspirant if his party zones the position to the South East.

‘’…. I believe that the party owes it a duty to say what their stand is. If their stand today is South, be rest assured I am aspiring, if they say North, I can’t do otherwise or they choose the option that everybody is free, then, of course, you will be hearing from me.

“What we are looking for in this country today are people of integrity, people of conscience, people who are less greedy. Educational qualification is not a measure of integrity; it doesn’t guarantee that somebody is less greedy or that people have a conscience.”

Campaign Finance

Obviously, the crowdfunding idea came up against the background that any presidential candidate requires a formidable war chest to undertake a political campaign, particularly a presidential run which Financial Times of London estimated should cost at least N1 trillion (about $2 billion). Though prudent Peter Obi is not a pauper, he is not known (even while in government) to spend lavishly in a way to impress the crowd. From his chequered experience before and after he became the governor of Anambra State, he knew the wily nature of money and the power play involved. With much hindsight, Obi would be one politician who won’t perform well under the chokehold of a kingmaker lurking in the background.

Crowdfunding to the rescue

Events in Nigeria’s political journey have shown that a godfather who puts money down and stand as the backbone of a political candidate at any level of government, subsequently becomes a veritable danger to the democratic process when they get too overbearing or when the political godson tries to assert themselves as the bona fide occupiers of the exalted seat. The monetisation of elections and the desire of the piper (godfather) to dictate the pace of governance has left a sorry tale for political office holders in recent times. It has dented the integrity and character of those holding political positions and made a mess of the democratic process.

Cases abound from 1999 with the late Lamidi Adedibu versus Rasheed Ladoja matter in Oyo State; Chris Uba versus Chris Ngige in Anambra State; Jim Nwobodo versus Chimaroke Nnamani in Enugu State; the late Olusola Saraki versus Mohammed Lawal in Kwara State etc.

Obviously, Onigbinde’s call may be due to the reasoning, as obtained in other climes, that crowdfunding can serve as a contrast to godfatherism by ensuring a level playground and giving some breathing space to politicians aspiring for elective offices. In this wise, crowdfunding therefore becomes a fundraising approach, through which supporters, fans and backers of a politician can contribute huge sums or widow’s mite to their favourite candidate’s campaign. This financial support from different supporters gives people the much needed sense of belonging, according to political analysts, in what can be described as “many hands make for light work.”

According to Seun Onigbinde, “a N10bn GoFundMe for Peter Obi will be (a) great starter for those who want to crowdsource Nigeria’s next leader. This will change the dynamics with the space hijacked by moneybags.”

Pundits are now suggesting that crowdfunding ought to be adapted as a viable alternative and a novel instrument of political freedom for politicians who would otherwise be burdened with the overwhelming influence of godfathers who perch like vultures after a prey.

In a similar vein, Chief Iyiola Oyedepo, a politician of repute in Kwara State and currently an APC chieftain, while presenting a paper titled; ‘‘Fund Raising For Political Purpose’ at the Nations Leadership Institute (NLI), said crowdfunding remains a viable option for the emergence of viable candidates and serves as “a financing method that involves funding a project or idea with relatively modest contributions from a large group of individuals rather than seeking substantial sum from a small number of individuals”.

To political watchers, the novel concept in Nigeria’s democratic journey will be a good prop for Nigeria’s political growth. As far as things go, Oyedepo is emphatic that crowdfunding can always be used as “ a tool of mobilisation and the focused funding will effectively curb the arrogant influence of godfatherism.

It is now left in the hands of supporters of Peter Obi, to go beyond social media hoopla and raise some funds through crowdfunding for the man of their choice.

https://sundiatapost.com/2023-can-the-crowd-fund-peter-obis-campaign/