Leader of the Northern Elders Council, NEC, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai has admitted that he and eight other prominent northerners received the sum of N53m from Chief Tony Anenih, but explained that the money was meant for advocacy visit to traditional rulers in the region to mobilised their subjects so that the 2015 general elections could be hitch free.
Yakasai on Wednesday confirmed to Vanguard that, “yes, myself and 8 others collected N53m from Chief Tony Anenih to pay advocacy visit to prominent northern emirs to mobilise their subjects for a hitch-free 2015 general elections”.
He explained that the development followed a request by the former Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees to make available to him a list of “nine apolitical but respected individuals from the North.”
He declared that the N53m disbursed to his team by Anenih took care of the group members’ allowances, transportation and hotels accommodation on a tour that took them to 18 states in the North.
He maintained that, “I want to make it abundantly clear that I didn’t received money from Chief Anenih in my private capacity as Tanko Yakasai but to patriotic individuals who are interested in the peaceful coexistence of the polity.”
Yakasai, who insisted that the fund had nothing to do with campaigns for former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s re-election bid, listed former Minister of state, foreign Affairs, Alhaji Mamman Anka, Barrister Bitrus Gwada and Alhaji Suleiman Lawal as beneficiaries of the money doled out by Anenih.
He named other top apolitical but respected northern individual beneficiaries to include: Dr Bahago, Chief John Macklink from Plateau, and Senator Sodangi.
Yakasai, who celebrated his 90th birthday last year, disclosed that his team visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris and the Emir of Gwandu.
Other first class chief visited were listed as: the emir of Anka, Emir of Ilorin, Emir of Nassarawa, Minnie, Bauchi, Zuru, Kebbi, Katsina, Dutse, Hadejia and Representatives of the Emir of Daurawa, as well as the Tor Tiv, the Gwom Gbom Jos, Ohimege Igu, Kotonkarfe, Etsu of Abaji, Etsu Nupe and Atta of Igala.
Yakasai had last week denied ever receiving financial patronage from Jonathan administration during a star interview with the newspaper, stressing that “I want to make it categorically clear that no officials of the last regime either Mr. Jonathan, his lieutenant, agents, contractors or person having links or relationship with the last administration gave me cash on behalf of that regime for a reason.”
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