The Buhari-Osinbajo Fund Raising Campaign on Thursday alleged that the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has deactivated the 35350 SMS platform it uses in raising fund for the actualisation of the presidency of the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola who doubles as the Director of the Fund Raising Campaign stated this at a press conference staged at State House in Marina, Lagos. There, he stated that President Goodluck Jonathan has become so desperate that he is using the NCC to haunt the opposition party.
With the 35350 platform launched on Tuesday as one of the five means through which Nigerians willing to donate to Buhari’s campaign can do so, those interested were required to simply send APC to the number 35350 so as to contribute N100 to the campaign using any of MTN, Glo, Etisalat, Airtel and Visaphone network.
Fashola alleged that NCC closed the platform on Wednesday afternoon after it wrote to the telecom operators involved not to transmit such messages.
He said,“The NCC has shut down the 35350 platform for sending N100 message to the Buhari fund raising campaign yesterday afternoon. Before it was shut down, 5400 people had contributed N100 to the Buhari campaign fund using the platform.”
Fashola maintained that since Wednesday, he had been receiving messages from people who are eager to contribute but could not get through to the line because NCC had shut it down.
While recalling that the same platform was in 2010 made available by the NCC to raise funds for the Jonathan-Sambo campaign, the Governor urged President Jonathan to direct NCC to restore the platform as the people’s freedom was being gagged.
He emphasized that his team entered into business relationship with the telecom operators saying the matter was never a political issue to be made partisan.
Fashola went on to lament that Jonathan had in recent times become so desperate and intolerant that he is oppressing the opposition in a bid to hold on to power at all costs, adding that he never expected to witness such brazen lawlessness and repression of the people’s freedom of expression all in the quest to cling to power.
“Why should a commercial transaction be frustrated because of one man’s desire to serve and why should they be shutting down generational platform?” he asked even as he alleged that the federal government had earlier shut down the APC website leading the party to launch another platform that is currently being haunted by the presidency.
The Governor promised that his party would explore all legal means to fight for its interest, but lamented the protracted JUSON strike which has crippled judicial activities. This, he said has prevented APC from seeking legal redress over the highhandedness of Jonathan’s government in recent times.
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