Jonathan Defies INEC- Deploys Presidential Jets For Campaigns

President Goodluck Jonathan has deployed the jets in the
presidential fleet for campaigns, while almost all state governors
have been using the resources of their states for the February
general elections, SUNDAY PUNCH’s investigations have shown.
A few weeks ago, political parties signed a code of conduct, which
states that the use of government resources for political
campaigns is unlawful. The Code is a document prepared by the
Independent National Electoral Commission in 2013.
A part of the code of conduct states, “All political parties shall
separate party business from government business. No political
party shall use state vehicles or other public resources for any
electioneering campaigns or any other party business.”
But contrary to the code of conduct, since Jonathan commenced
his campaigns across Nigeria, virtually all the 11 jets in the
presidential fleet have been used for one campaign trip or the
other.
The Presidential Air Fleet include two Falcon 7X jets, two Falcon
900 jets, Gulfstream 550, one Boeing 737 BBJ (Nigerian Air Force
001 or Eagle One), and Gulfstream IVSP. Others are one
Gulfstream V, Cessna Citation 2 aircraft and Hawker Siddley
125-800 jet.
The PAF is about the third largest domestic airline in the country,
coming behind Arik Air, which has over 21 aircraft, and Aero
Contractors, with about 12 planes.
Senior officials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja
told one of our correspondents on Friday that the brand of airplane
and the number used by the President to any state depended on
the size of the airport in the state, the number of persons in his
entourage, as well as “other factors best known to the
Presidency.”
The Presidency on Saturday however said there was nothing
stopping Jonathan from using all the paraphernalia of his office
while going round the country to seek votes.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr.
Doyin Okupe, said this in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH.
Okupe said there was nowhere in the world were incumbents are
stopped from using their official cars while going on campaign
trips.
Okupe said, “I am not aware of such code of conduct. You can
check anywhere in the world. I watched Obama’s campaign, was
he going around in taxis or private cars? When the governor of
Lagos State was seeking re-election, was he going for campaigns
in private cars?
“A sitting President has all paraphernalia of office anywhere he
goes. The same applies to governors. They are not ordinary
citizens, so when you are contesting against them, you know you
are contesting against an institution. There is nothing you can do
about that.
“I don’t think that code of conduct exists. So they want the
President to be going about in one Peugeot 505 to seek votes?
What about policemen? Are they not government officials? Are
they not supposed to follow him because he is campaigning?
“It simply does not make sense. If INEC had such a document, let
them publish it for us to see.”
State governors are also not left out of using state vehicles and
resources to campaign.
In Kwara, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed; his deputy, Mr. Peter
Kisira; and a former governor of the state, who is currently the
Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Dr.
Bukola Saraki, as well as their retinue of aides have been
campaigning with government vehicles.
Sources informed one of our correspondents that bills for party
members’ mobilisation and logistics for the campaign were
allegedly footed by the state government.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on
Media and Communication, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, however said
the state government was aware of INEC regulations prohibiting
state governments from sponsoring campaigns.
Akorede said, “The APC is responsible for campaigns and all
associated expenses. The flag off was funded by the party from
members’ contributions, as well as donations by aspirants, their
supporters and other party members. It is not true that the Ahmed
administration funded the APC campaign.”
Similarly, the PDP-controlled government in Cross River has been
campaigning for all the party’s candidates at all levels using
government-owned vehicles. Some government vehicles have
been seen in different parts of the state spotting the stickers of
PDP candidates.
A top government official who preferred anonymity said, “If you
think they will not use government funds to run campaigns, then
you must be joking. You do not expect a governor or even the
president to appear at campaign venues with private securities
and personal vehicles when they are in control of the resources. It
happens even in the United States.”
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Liyel Imoke, Mr. Christian
Ita, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the governor would not drop his
official designation because of campaigns.
Ita said, “This debate had been on for quite some time now. The
governor cannot afford not to be governor because of political
campaigns.”
In Kaduna, the administration of Governor Mukhtar Yero is also
using state resources to promote the members of the ruling PDP.
Yero at different fora boasted that the government would deploy
both material and human resources to trounce the main
challenger, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and
the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Nasir
el-Rufai.
Yero, at the flag-off of his 2015 governorship campaign, rode in
his official Mercedes Benz E Class 350. He has also toured the 23
local government areas of the state with the same vehicle.
Aside from fuelling and maintaining the vehicles, SUNDAY PUNCH
gathered that most of the campaign vehicles, especially those
acquired for the Kaduna State chapter of the Goodluck/Sambo
2015 Presidential Campaign Organisation were procured with
state funds.
A competent government source said, “Recently, about 30
vehicles were procured for the purpose of campaigning for the
Jonathan/Sambo presidency. These vehicles are fully financed by
the state government under the guise of donation from political
associates.”
Also in Ogun State, since Governor Ibikunle Amosun, kicked off
his governorship re-election campaign tours two weeks ago, his
official Toyota Sports Utility Vehicle and about five other SUVs,
including Toyota Hilux vans and other official vehicles, were in
the governor’s convoy to Ijebu Igbo, Remo North, Imekon Afon,
Ewekoro and Ijebu North East Local Government Areas.
The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Yusuph
Olaniyonu, however said the only official vehicles on the campaign
train were those of the governor and that of the security agents.
He said, “Whoever is saying the governor is using the state
resources to campaign should come and prove that. The governor
uses his official vehicle and all the other ones you are seeing in
the convoy are the ones bought by the campaign committee of the
party, and they are appropriately branded and APC boldly written
on them.
“The other vehicles that join the campaign train are that of security
agents. And I don’t know any operational rule that says the
security personnel assigned to the governor should use other
vehicles.
“Again, there are vehicles that belong to friends of the governor
and those of individual candidates. Those of the candidates are
branded in their names. So what are they talking about?”
Same is happening in Rivers State where the All Progressives
Congress is the ruling party. Our correspondent reports that
luxury buses belonging to the state government are being used
during campaigns.
A party chieftain who pleaded anonymity described the funding of
campaign rallies as an “expensive venture.” He explained that it
would be difficult for any candidate to win without government
‘support.’ Efforts to reach the Chief of Staff, Government House,
Mr. Tony Okocha, to speak on the allegation failed as he said he
he was attending a rally of the party and promised to call back. He
failed to do this.
Similarly, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio,
does not pretend that he is supporting the state Peoples
Democratic Party candidate, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, in every way he
can.
The governor has boasted that if an incumbent governor does not
support any aspirant during elections, such aspirant is bound to be
defeated.
Twenty-two aggrieved PDP governorship aspirants in the state
had alleged that the governor spent N1.2bn to secure delegates’
votes for Emmanuel.
One of the delegates in the PDP governorship primary said, “Apart
from making government vehicles and buildings available for the
campaign, the governor has been spending a lot of money to
ensure that his candidate wins.”
The APC on Saturday denied allegations that it was using
government vehicles to campaign in states under its control.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said
this in a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH.
He explained that he was not aware of any breach of the
Independent National Electoral Commission Code of Conduct.
Mohammed said, “I am not aware of any breach by our party. I am
not aware that any of our governors is using official vehicles for
campaign.
“We only hope that the law applies to all parties including Mr.
President and the ruling party, we hope he will not use the
Presidential jet on his campaign train.”
Lawyers Kick
Some lawyers have condemned the use of public resources by
elected public officers for electioneering campaigns.
One of them, Mr. Jiti Ogunye, said the trend was “a consolidation
of the absurdity and aberration that have remained with us for
some time.”
He said it was the same act of absurdity that had played out when
the head of the National Orientation Agency accepted an
appointment into the campaign committee of President Goodluck
Jonathan.
Ogunye said, “If public officers would not mind to be appointed to
serve on a campaign committee of a candidate in an election, why
will elected officers not see public resources at their disposal as a
fair game?
“The practice is improper and it is prohibited not only by code of
conduct for political parties but also public officers. It is
condemnable; it confers undue advantage on those occupying
office.”
Another lawyer, Mr. Fred Agbaje, said the act was a reflection of
the culture of impunity that had dominated the country.
He said, “But for the culture of impunity that is cascading our
political landscape and which, regrettably, has become public
policy, why will anybody use facilities that is maintained by public
purse for his campaigns?
“The act violates Sections 92 and 100(2) of the Electoral Act
because public resources cannot be used for election expenses.”
Another lawyer, Mr. Malachy Ugwummadu, said the violation of
the code of conduct and the Electoral Act had also extended to the
use of public funds.
Ugwummadu said the act deprived the opposition parties the
level playing field they deserved.
Parties responsible for compliance —Jega
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, however, stated that it
was the responsibility of political parties to ensure compliance
with the code of conduct.
His Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kayode Idowu, referred SUNDAY
PUNCH to Section 3 (17) of the code which states, “All political
parties shall discourage their members in government from using
their power of incumbency to the disadvantage of other parties or
their candidates during campaigns.”
Section 10(4) also states: “Any dispute which cannot be resolved
between parties shall be reported to the IPAC which shall give it a
fair and expeditious hearing/s. The IPAC is empowered to
recommend to INEC appropriate sanctions on erring political
parties. This is without prejudice to the right of parties and their
candidates or agents to pursue other legal action