Few days after investigation by TheDispatch has revealed how politicians who are desperate to win the primaries of their various political parties are stocking up dollars, an online newspaper has revealed that delegates to the presidential convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are smiling home with at least $35,000 each from the two frontline presidential aspirants, Atiku Abubakar and Nyesom Wike.
There are at least 14 presidential aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket on Saturday in Abuja.
Some of the delegates who spoke to DAILY NIGERIAN said they received $10,000 and $15,000 each from the coordinators Messrs Abubakar and Wike respectively.
They however said some of them get up to $20,000 (about N12m) from the two leading aspirants.
“At first Atiku and Wike gave us 10,000 and 15,000 dollars each, but when Atiku learnt about what Wike offered, he has now started reaching out to us to level up the tally,” said one of the delegates from Kano.
He added that the governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, who is also contesting, has given them $5,000 each.
“Some aspirants, like Bala Mohammed, are not sharing the money across the board, they share it sparingly. Only Atiku and Wike are sharing to all delegates.
“The vote canvassers are all around, and the process appears like an auction. I believe we could get from 40 to 60,000 dollars each before the end of the exercise,” he said.
A number of delegates from Edo and Jigawa States who spoke on the condition of anonymity corroborated the position of their Kano counterparts, saying some of them have already collected up to $40,000.
A coordinator of one of the leading candidates said some of the delegates were brought to the nation’s capital in charter flight, fed and lodged in hotels at the expense of the presidential aspirants.
“You have to hide your delegates, otherwise they will be up for grab. Some aspirants make mouthwatering offers and ask them to take oath of commitment,” he said.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that 810 delegates to the convention will elect the presidential candidate of the PDP on Saturday.
Findings by TheDispatch showed that in the last few days, shortage of dollars has hit major banks in the country over the high demand and scarcity of the United States currency.
A visit by our correspondents to some banks in Abuja, Lagos and Ibadan showed that many customers who came for Western Union, Moneygram and others were turned back by the banks owing to non-availability of dollars.
An official of one of the banks who spoke to our correspondent under the conditions of anonymity said that politicians are responsible for the shortage of dollars in the country, saying that they are the ones stocking up the United States currency to use to entice delegates during the primaries.