Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, has denied embezzling and diverting 2019 campaign funds in Kwara State.
Mohammed who was reacting to an allegation by the State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, insisted that he raised over N150m to prosecute the 2019 general elections in the state.
AbdulRazaq had alleged that prior to the 2019 general elections in Kwara State, a cabal within the APC had millions of naira in donations and never remitted the money to him.
However, Mohammed insisted that the governor failed to account for the money he and his friends raised for the party in 2019.
Addressing APC members yesterday at the party’s state Secretariat’s in Ilorin, Mohammed insisted that he singlehandedly funded APC’s 2019 campaign in Kwara State.
He challenged his accusers to present proves that they supported the party’s campaign.
Mohammed also pointed out that APC would not have participated in the 2019 elections in the state if he had not raised the donations.
According to Mohammed: “I never diverted All Progressives Congress (APC) 2019 general elections funds for my personal use as alleged by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
“By the grace of God, I singlehandedly, with the support of friends, politicians, and family, raised all the monies for the Oke-Ero/Isin/Ekiti/Irepodun Federal Constituency bye-election of November 2019 that brought Hon Tunji Olawuyi to the House of Representatives.
“They should explain to Nigerians what happened to the N70 million that Hon Abduraheem Tunji Ajuloopin kept that the governor refused to give us during the bye-election.
“I had to go to friends to raise another N150 million to prosecute that election. I remember very well that there are 42 wards in that constituency.”
The minister also recalled how a former governor told him that nobody could defeat former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
“I remember a governor, when we won the first election, calling me to ask if it was true we won the bye-election. And I told him ‘yes sir.’ He said, ‘I want to apologise to you when you came to me for money they told me not to give you money. They told me you are a Lagos politician, that nobody can defeat Saraki.’
“But then we did not know that God brings more wonder,” he said.
The minister also insisted that the APC congress in the state would not hold until all members have been duly registered.
Mohammed stressed that the last APC’s registration and revalidation exercise in the state was a charade.
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