With barely weeks to the commencement of electoral campaigns in the country, renowned journalist, and broadcaster, Dr. Reuben Abati has come out to share his thoughts on reported moves by several Nigerians abroad to raise a whopping $150 million via crowdfunding as part of their contribution to the Peter Obi-Yusuf Datti Ahmed 2023 presidential campaign.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE TV’s ‘The Morning Show’, Dr. Abati, who was once a presidential spokesman in the Goodluck Jonathan administration, pointed out that though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will require proper documentation of how political parties raise and spend their campaign funds, a crowdfunding venture from Nigerians in the diaspora will definitely be a big boost to the Labour Party’s presidential bid.

Going further, Dr. Abati opined that the move could lend credence to Peter Obi’s growing popularity not just at home but also abroad.

“The second point of such a move is the growing popularity of Mr. Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party. One major criticism of his movement is the fact that people say he doesn’t have political structures. While some people say he has no structures in Nigeria, others say he only has structures on social media.

Part of the reasons given for the crowdfunding that some young Nigerians have introduced is to provide him with an opportunity to have resources to fund his campaign. So first of all, it is an affirmation of his popularity, particularly among young persons in Nigeria and also in the diaspora,” Dr. Abati said.