2023: APC Denies Budgeting N6.5tr to Compromise INEC, Security Operatives, Buy Votes

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Ahead of the 2023 elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied budgeting a whopping sum of N6.5 trillion to compromise the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security operatives, judicial officers and buy votes.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Felix Morka, in a statement issued Monday, blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for peddling such mischievous information.

He said: “The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to a document in circulation described as ‘Leaked APC 2023 Election Document’. 

“Mischievously, the document alleged that our party has voted a whooping N6.5 trillion to fund schemes aimed at swaying the Nigerian electorate to support and vote for the party and its presidential candidate in 2023. 

“Ridiculously, too, the document alleged that obscene amounts of money have been voted for outright vote-buying; compromising INEC staff; security operatives; judicial officers and other officials.”

The APC spokesperson clarified that the document did not emanate from the party, adding that the party never authored any such document.

Morka added: “Indubitably, the document is the handiwork of very sick elements of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a desperate quest for unmerited electoral advantage by attempting to smear our party with wrongdoing. 

“In their zealous attempt to mudsling, the document’s authors senselessly alleged that our party proposes to apply nearly half of the country’s entire 2022 budget to buy votes. How in the world does a government operating a national budget of N17 trillion dole out N6.5 trillion to rig elections? It clearly betrays the authors’ extreme ignorance of the complexity of the systems and processes for the appropriation and utilization of state funds.”

Morka said that the ruling party was focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to Nigerians in hope that they would reciprocate by supporting and voting for the party’s candidates come 2023 elections. 

He noted that APC is a law abiding party and has no need to engage in any fraud and electoral malpractice suggested in the worthless document. 

The party spokesperson said only a party that is a masterful looter of the national treasury such as the PDP could even imagine another capable of engaging in the kinds of atrocious acts the document suggests. 

The ruling party, therefore, urged Nigerians to disregard the document as sleazy propaganda for which the PDP has gained notoriety. 

Morka reiterated that APC remained committed to building an innovative system of free and credible elections as witnessed in the recently concluded governorship election in Ekiti State.