Aisha Yesufu asks Nigerians to fund Obi’s 2027 campaign

Activist Aisha Yesufu has launched a public fundraising campaign to support the 2027 election bid of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Yesufu made the appeal in a Wednesday video shared on X, urging Nigerians to contribute financially towards the campaign rather than leave the responsibility of funding it to Obi.

She said citizens who wanted to see a change in the country should take ownership of the campaign by making donations, no matter how little.

“My fellow citizens, Peter Obi cannot do this alone. There is no way we can say that we want to rescue a nation, we want to get back our nation, we want the people to own this nation, and then we say that we are going to leave everything to Mr Peter Obi to fund.

“So please, every one of us, we need you to put in something. Let the citizens fund this election. Let us be the ones that say our one naira, we go here and it will be used for this or that,” she said.

Recalling the 2023 presidential election, Yesufu said Obi had initially been reluctant to allow public fundraising, but she had argued that citizens needed to be involved in financing the campaign.

She said the previous fundraising exercise was accounted for, despite criticism from some quarters.

“Even last election, Mr Peter Obi never wanted us to use public fundraising. But I remember saying to him, people need to be involved. And when people give, they are emotionally invested.

“And we did that fundraising. And at the end, there were a lot of people who said so many things. We put out the account. Everything we could was accounted for,” she said.

Yesufu said the arrangement in which Obi largely provided the money for campaign activities was no longer sustainable, calling on supporters to contribute towards the effort.

“It can no longer work. Every one of us have to put in our own widow’s mite,” she said.

Clarifying the purpose of the initiative, Yesufu said the fundraising was separate from that of the political party, adding that the party would provide its own account details for interested donors.

“This is not the party. This is what we, as citizens, are going to use to fund the things that we can do for Mr Peter Obi. The party are going to put out their own accounts.

“Those who want to donate to the party, please wait for their account. This particular account that is here, it’s for Peter Obi’s campaign donated by citizens,” she said.

She also pledged to ensure transparency in the management of the donations, promising to account for every contribution received.

“In 2023, I was accountable, and I accounted for every dime. And in 2027, by the grace of God, I will also be accountable. And I will account for every dime,” Yesufu said.

She urged Nigerians to support what she described as a citizens’ campaign for Obi ahead of the 2027