A former senator, represented Kaduna Central at the 8th Senate, Shehu Sani, tweeted on January on Saturday, saying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State paid N95 million for a campaign venue.
The tweet was republished by some blogs and online sites.
Full Text:
The tweet reads: “Ninety Five million Naira for a campaign venue in Rivers; this is unprecedented in the history of our country. It will continue to be a reference point for Governors who want to emasculate the opposition. What’s the cost of renting the Abuja Eagle square?,”
The tweet as at the time of this report had gathered over 70,000 views, 564 likes, 78 retweets and
Verification
Findings by Daily Trust showed that although the said amount was paid by the PDP in Rivers state, it covered 19 venues which the party intends to use for its campaign in the state, and not for a venue as the former senator claimed.
The payment was in compliance with the precautionary requirement of N5 million per venue stipulated by Executive Order 21 signed by Governor Nyesom Wike in 2022. As such the N95m is a lump sum payment for 19 different venues at N5m per venue.
The payment was in compliance with the precautionary requirement of N5 million per venue stipulated by Executive Order 21 signed by Governor Nyesom Wike in 2022. As such the N95m is a lump sum payment for 19 different venues at N5m per venue.
Verdict
The claim by Sani is misleading as the N95m is a lump sum paid for 19 different campaign venues and not a single venue.
