The Democratic Leadership Alliance has returned N10 million nomination fee to its former presidential candidate, Mrs Abisayo Busari-Akinnadeju, after she pulled out of the party’s 2027 presidential race.
Busari-Akinnadeju shared this news in a statement to journalists on Friday in Akure.
She mentioned that the party refunded N10.8 million, but an extra N1.2 million is still pending.
The politician left the party on May 28, accusing its leaders of forcing a consensus presidential candidate, which goes against the Electoral Act.
She said, “I want to say that the Democratic Leadership Alliance has refunded the presidential nomination fee I paid in April 2026, for my ambition to be President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the 2027 general election.
“I resigned from the DLA on May 28 because of the imposition of a consensus candidate in a way that did not follow the Electoral Act 2026 and the use of a disciplinary process to remove me as a cleared aspirant when I could not support the consensus mode.
“I acknowledge receipt of N10.8 million of the presidential nomination fee I paid in April 2026. I note that a further N1.2 million remains outstanding. I am grateful that the party has chosen to do the right thing in this respect.”
Still, Busari-Akinnadeju said the refund does not address the issues she raised about how the party held its presidential primary.
“It is important, however, that the meaning of this refund is not misunderstood. The return of the money does not restore the integrity of the process. It is an acknowledgment that the original collection was indefensible.
“It is not a remedy for what was done in the weeks between the collection and the return,” she noted.
The former candidate claimed that there were attempts to block her from participating in the party’s presidential primary.
She said, “There was an intentional attempt to stop me from being screened, a disciplinary action to complete the process after screening.
“The state chairmen of the party were told not to attend the presidential primary at the headquarters but to send figures to the national secretariat so that a candidate could be picked by a supposed consensus.”
According to her, the Electoral Act 2026 does not allow for consensus candidates without the written approval of all cleared aspirants.
She added that her concerns have gone beyond getting her money back, emphasizing that aspiring politicians should have fair chances to participate in the political process.
Busari-Akinnadeju thanked Nigerians who stood by her, saying public attention helped in the refund of the nomination fee.
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