Accord Members Protest Over Unpaid N50m Tinubu Campaign Fund

Members and supporters of the Accord Party in Osun State have expressed anger over the alleged withholding of N50 million allocated for their mobilisation during the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement programme organised in support of President Bola Tinubu.

The party members accused some of their leaders of failing to distribute the money despite their participation in the programme, which involved mobilising supporters and different interest groups ahead of the movement’s activities in the state.

Several individuals who claimed to have worked towards the success of the event said they had yet to receive their mobilisation payments.

They also accused the party leadership of failing to explain why the funds had not been released to those who participated in the exercise.

The controversy centres on an alleged N100 million mobilisation budget reportedly set aside for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Accord Party.

The amount was said to have been divided equally between the two parties, with each expected to receive N50 million for mobilising its members and supporters.

However, some of those who took part in the exercise claimed that the money meant for the Accord contingent had not reached them.

One of the organisers of the programme disclosed that the funds were intended to cover mobilisation activities involving different groups and interests within the two political parties.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the organiser said the arrangement was for both parties to receive equal allocations to facilitate the mobilisation of their respective supporters.

“I know that N50m was allocated to each of the two parties to mobilise their supporters,” he said.

Despite the alleged allocation, some participants said they had been left without payment for their involvement in the programme.

An aide to Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, who was involved in mobilising a support group for the event, said members of his group had not received any money.

The aide expressed disappointment over the development, explaining that his group had responded to the mobilisation request but was yet to receive the promised funds.

“Our support group was asked to mobilise members, but they haven’t received a kobo,” the aide stated.

The alleged non-payment has also generated complaints among student groups that participated in the mobilisation exercise.

A member of the National Association of Nigerian Students in the South-West said the student constituency had yet to receive its allocation despite making efforts to bring participants to the programme.

The student leader, who also declined to disclose his identity, accused some Accord leaders of withholding the funds meant for the mobilisation exercise.

He described the situation as disappointing, particularly because students and other supporters had reportedly committed their time and resources to ensure adequate participation.

“The PBAT Door-to-Door rally was another eye-opener to the kind of selfish and greedy leaders we have in this so-called Accord. The organisers decided to split the mobilisation between the APC and Accord.”

“Till now, Accord leaders are yet to pay us, nor explain the reason for the delay,” he said on Saturday.

However, the state coordinator of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Timothy Olanrewaju, has dismissed suggestions that the mobilisation funds were withheld at the central level.

Olanrewaju maintained that the money had been released to the parties and insisted that those complaining about non-payment should direct their grievances to their respective party leaders.

According to him, the responsibility for distributing the money rested with the party structures that received the allocations. He also claimed that he was not given any mobilisation allocation for himself despite serving as the state coordinator of the movement.

“Those people protesting should hold their leaders responsible. The fund was released to them. I, as the central coordinator, was not even given any slot. My own mobilisation was also part of the APC slots.

“The calculations we made were N80,000 per bus and N10,000 for each person in an 18-seater bus. The 5,000 people we were expecting from Accord were not even up to that, if not for the extra mobilisation from our own end,” Olanrewaju disclosed.

Meanwhile, the Osun State Chairman of the Accord Party, Pastor Victor Akande, has distanced himself from the controversy, saying he was unaware of the alleged allocation and had no direct involvement in the committee responsible for the mobilisation arrangement.

Akande said the money did not pass through him and explained that nobody had formally approached him with a complaint regarding the alleged non-payment.

He added that, if the funds had indeed been released, those responsible for organising the mobilisation should have ensured that participants received their payments.

“I am not aware of the funds. I wasn’t part of the committee. Also, if money was released, I believe those who mobilised ought to have received their money by now,” he stated.

The chairman’s response has further raised questions about the handling of the mobilisation funds, particularly regarding the committee or individuals responsible for receiving and distributing the money allocated to the Accord Party.

As of the time of filing this report, the affected support groups and student representatives were still alleging that they had not received their payments, while the movement’s coordinator maintained that the money had been released.