Peter Obi spends ₦744m on legal battles after election loss - Aisha Yesufu reveals

The fundraising team of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation has disclosed that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, expended a substantial amount totalling ₦744,500,000 on legal proceedings following his defeat in the 2023 presidential election.

Chairman of the fundraising team, Aisha Yesufu, made this disclosure during a press briefing held in Abuja on Thursday, February 15, 2024.

Yesufu outlined the campaign's strategic approach, which involved extending support to over 100 groups nationwide, conducting media campaigns that reached over 11 million people through radio broadcasts, community engagement activities, and leveraging social media platforms.

Contrary to certain reports, Yesufu clarified that polling unit agents were duly compensated, with ₦324 million allocated for their mobilisation.

However, due to financial constraints, the campaign faced limitations in utilising television advertisements.

Instead, substantial amounts were allocated towards procuring campaign materials (₦258,374,330), covering media expenses such as radio broadcasts (₦16,432,867), and facilitating election promotion (₦10,808,948).

The sum of ₦744,500,000 was specifically designated to cover legal expenses incurred during the legal challenge to the election results.

"For the election promotion expenses, we had ₦10,808,948 and deployed ₦744,500,000 to cover legal expenses. We thank everyone who contributed in cash and kind," she remarked.

Obi, who secured 6,101,533 votes to clinch third place in the February 25, 2023 presidential election won by Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, alongside the Labour Party, contested the election results as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.