Osun gov campaign fund: APC leaders, Omisore, Lukman fight dirty

Salihu Lukman, the deputy national chairman of All Progressives Congress (North-west), has accused the National Secretary of the party, Iyiola Omisore, of mismanaging campaign funds for Osun gubernatorial election in 2022.

Mr Lukman, during an interview on AIT on Tuesday, alleged that money was given to Mr Omisore for the prosecution of the Osun election but that the national secretary has yet to give an account of the money.

The then governor and candidate of the APC, Gboyega Oyetola, lost the election to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ademola Adeleke.

Mr Adeleke has since been sworn in.

Mr Lukman said the APC handed over funds to prosecute the campaign for the election to Mr Omisore, a former deputy governor of the state, but that he mismanaged it.

“I’m aware the party has given some campaign funds to Osun which was handled by the National Secretary and to some extent, he has either mismanaged it but more importantly, he’s not accounting to anybody and you have to activate the process of accountability,” he said.

Mr Omisore has, however, denied the allegation and demanded a public apology and payment of N500 million in damages.

The national secretary, in a letter, through his lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole, dated 15 March, said the statement by Mr Lukman is false because he was not given money by the party for the election.

“It is clear beyond doubt that your statement and publication was a political ploy with the intent to impugn the reputation and integrity of our client and unjustifiably and unwarrantedly assassinate his character in the eyes of right-thinking members of the public.

“Our client has consequently directed us to request for a retraction of your libellous statement and publication and an apology to be published in two (2) major newspapers and several online news outlets not later than forty-eight (48) hours of the delivery of this letter and also the payment of the sum of N500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira only) as damages for malicious statement against our client,” the letter reads in part.

Mr Omisore warned that he will proceed to court if Mr Lukman fails to meet the conditions.

When Mr Lukman was contacted over the demands made by the national secretary, he said he will not be bullied.

“My immediate reaction is that this is an attempt to bully me but I will respond to him properly,” he said. Premium Times