The former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Nasarawa State, Yusuf Musa, has said clarified controversies surrounding Hajiya Maryam Wadada, the wife of APC gubernatorial candidate Senator Ahmed Wadada, distributing millions of naira in newly printed 500 naira notes to supporters in Nasarawa State.
In an interview, Yusuf said the senator’s wife personally handing the new notes to the women was due to her philanthropic nature and the need to ensure accountability.
He said, “why we are putting the money, is for accountability. Because we are dealing with the vulnerable people, the poor people that the distinguished senator through his wife want to help, to assist further their businesses, small businesses, like the first lady once stated.
“And I know it became a hyping issue on social media when Mrs. Remi Tinubu talked about assisting people with akara, kuli-kuli sellers. And I think the first lady was not wrong. Those people need assistance. This 50,000 that were given, you can imagine how people were excited, very, very excited.
“We, deliberately, the wife of the distinguished senator and those assisting her to do those things around the 13 local governments of the state, are meticulous in selecting and this money we are giving, it has no regard to political party affiliations, no regard to religion, no regard to your tribe. All what the distinguished senator is after is to assist people with physical cash. And he has been doing this, sir, not because of this campaign, as you alluded yesterday. No.”
Yusuf stated that the senator’s wife’s financial support for vulnerable people has nothing to do with the upcoming election, dismissing speculation that the gesture amounts to vote-buying, since the election is not yet due.
“We’re not in to election now. Election is next year. And we’re talking about August. We have about five months to the election. So you cannot say vote buying now, because we are not buying vote. There are no voters to purchase now.
He stated Nasarawa politics is a very sophisticated politics. Revealing no one can buy people’s conscience in the state.
“So our people are politically conscious to the extent that they don’t see you coming to come and give you money, they take, and they vote for you. No. It’s a different ballgame for the people of Nasarawa State.
“So it’s not vote buying, but it’s giving back to the society the much that they have provided in assisting you further your political ambition, in assisting you further your economic and cultural ambition. And that’s what we are doing.
“And this is not the first time. The distinguished senator has been doing this since 2003. He has been buying, it’s not only money that we are giving now, he has been giving vehicles to those people, drivers.