A former presidential aspirant of the Democratic Leadership Alliance, Abisayo Busari-Akinnadeju, has confirmed receiving N10.8 million from the N12 million she paid as a presidential nomination fee ahead of the 2027 general election, saying the party still owes her N1.2 million.
Busari-Akinnadeju disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday in Akure, Ondo State, following her resignation from the party on May 28.
She said the refund followed her withdrawal from the DLA, which she attributed to alleged irregularities in the conduct of the party’s presidential primary and what she described as an imposed consensus arrangement.
According to her, the party refunded the larger part of the fee she paid in April 2026 for her presidential ambition, adding that while she appreciated the move, the balance of N1.2 million was yet to be paid.
Busari-Akinnadeju stated that the refund did not address her concerns about the credibility of the party’s internal democratic processes.
She maintained that returning the money could not reverse what she alleged were flaws in the conduct of the primary election.
The former aspirant alleged that efforts were made to prevent her participation in the screening process and that disciplinary measures were subsequently deployed against her.
She further claimed that party state chairmen were instructed not to attend the presidential primary at the national secretariat, alleging that the arrangement was designed to facilitate the emergence of a candidate through consensus.
According to her, the Electoral Act does not permit consensus candidacy without the written consent of all duly cleared aspirants.
Busari-Akinnadeju also alleged that disciplinary proceedings initiated against her at short notice were used to remove obstacles to the party’s preferred process.
She noted that her concerns had evolved beyond the issue of nomination fee refund, stressing that the focus should be on ensuring fairness and transparency for all political aspirants.
The former presidential hopeful warned that aspiring politicians without public visibility or influence could face similar challenges in seeking refunds or redress in the future.
She expressed appreciation to Nigerians who drew public attention to the matter, noting that media scrutiny contributed to the eventual refund of the funds.
Busari-Akinnadeju added that she is no longer affiliated with any political party and is now concentrating on a civic platform known as the Dare Agenda Movement, through which she intends to continue her public engagement.
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