President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday claimed he had received a total of N100.5 million donations and pledges from persons, groups and communities who offered to assist him to pay for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential nomination fee.
The PDP’s Presidential Nomination Fee is N20 million and its Expression of Interest Form is N2 million, making a total of N22 million.
Jonathan said he would pick the nomination form today.
Dr. Reuben Abati, special adviser on Media and Publicity to the president, in a statement said that President thanked all Nigerians who Jonathan, said had been urging him to seek re-election based on his administration’s achievement in the last four years.
The statement read in part, “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will tomorrow, Thursday, October 30 pick up the PDP nomination form for the 2015 Presidential elections.
“President Jonathan thanks all Nigerians, members of the PDP, friends, associates, and all groups who in sincere appreciation of the achievements of the administration in the last four years, have been urging him to seek a second term in office.
“President Jonathan is greatly encouraged by the overwhelming outpouring of goodwill and support, as well as the confidence of the generality of Nigerians in his ability to continue to transform the country for the good of its entire people.
“The President is also grateful to all the persons, groups and communities who have sent donations, and made pledges to assist him to pay the required N22m for the PDP Presidential Nomination Fee and Expression of Interest Form.”
Abati said 36 groups and communities donated to the buy-form-for-Jonathan fund.
According to the breakdown of the donations and pledges received by the President, the highest donors are the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria that donated N22m each.
Jonathan assured the donors that he would continue to do his best to justify the confidence they reposed in his leadership.