Ordinary Nigerians Will Be NDC’s Highest Stakeholders
OpenLife News reports that the National Democratic Congress, NDC, says it will adopt a crowdfunding model to finance its activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, to prevent wealthy individuals from hijacking the party structure.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, disclosed this during an interview on Trust TV’s Sunday Politic, explaining that the new funding framework will allow ordinary Nigerians to own and fund the party according to their capacity.“We should be inventive, creative and innovative in the way we fund our party.
Every Nigerian should have the opportunity to own the party,” Director said.He stressed that the NDC does not want a party dominated by a few rich sponsors.“We don’t want a party that is hijacked and solely sponsored by moneybags, because that would allow them to dictate what happens within the party.”
Learning From Obidient Model
Director said the NDC is studying the crowdfunding approach deployed by the Obidient Movement during the 2023 elections, with plans to improve accountability and transparency.
He said contributors would be able to track how their donations are spent, while professional auditors and financial experts would be engaged to manage the process.“We are not saying it must be millions of naira. It could be ₦1,500 or whatever amount you can afford,” he noted.
Donation Limits And Scrutiny
The NDC spokesman said the party is yet to fix a ceiling for individual donations but will do so after consultations.
He revealed that the party already enforced contribution limits during its primaries — ₦10 million for House of Representatives aspirants and ₦20 million for Senate aspirants — to curb excessive influence.
According to him, the party could have accepted far bigger sums but deliberately imposed caps.
He added that large donations would be scrutinized before acceptance.“If somebody decides to donate ₦500 million to us, it will be left to the party leadership to decide whether to accept it. We will not want to accept funds that could later expose us to legal or political risks,” Director said.
He said the NDC would engage reputable audit firms in Nigeria to publish full accounts of all funds raised and expended, making ordinary Nigerians the highest stakeholders in the party.
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