Senator Kabiru Gaya, the Director-General of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s campaign and Chairman of The Progressive Project (TPP) has expressed confidence in Osinbajo’s ability to easily raise N100 million.
According to Senator Gaya who is representing Kano South, unlike the moneybags in the party, Osinbajo’s popularity would facilitate token donations to raise the money for his presidential bid.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, he said consultations by members of various support groups, eminent political leaders, and citizens, too numerous to mention, culminated in his decision to lead the Osinbajo supporters’ group.
He noted that for the vice president, the race was not about personal ambition, but a positive response to a popular call from a citizen-driven mobilisation that began without input from him or his office. The lawmaker stressed that people from other parties and even millions of non-partisan citizens, who did not belong to any political party, had strong interest and involvement with the campaign for Osinbajo’s candidature.
According to Gaya, “Even an internal issue of the price of our party’s nomination form is being deliberately misinterpreted in some circles, when we feel confident that, unlike moneybags, our truly populist candidate is popular enough to pool supporters’ token donations and raise such money with ease.
“Just one youth group with TPP, the Progressive Group alone, says that they can raise N100 million with rough voluntary contributions of N10, 000 each by 10, 000 of their supporters, who are keen about seeing a better future.
“Our populist mathematics is flawless and very strong; moneybags within or outside APC will only lose their dollars in any contest against the people’s will.”
He said the TPP noted the fear of the people’s genuine power had made some elements resort to heightened propaganda in the past few days.
Gaya added, “We will not descend low to play gutter politics and we have continued to warn our supporters against involvement in insults and vilification. We are democrats, we believe in uniting people and in submitting ourselves and competing ideas to the people’s evaluation and decisions through the ballot box.”
The APC chieftain emphasised that the popular forces behind Osinbajo feared no foe and hated no one, saying they are focused without compromise on the unity, progress and development of Nigeria and would not descend into gutter fights with any person or group.
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