Abisayo Busari-Akinnadeju, who previously sought the presidential ticket of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), has announced that the party returned ₦10.8 million of her nomination fee. However, she pointed out that ₦1.2 million remains unpaid.
The refund comes after she stepped down from the 2027 race and quit the party on May 28, citing flaws in the candidate selection process. In a statement released on Friday, she acknowledged the partial payment but insisted that deeper issues persist.
Busari-Akinnadeju claimed that party leaders tried to block her from screening and later used disciplinary measures to push her out after she refused to back a consensus candidate. She argued that the Electoral Act mandates that all cleared aspirants must agree before a consensus can be declared, and this condition was not fulfilled.
She also alleged that state chairmen were told to skip the primary and instead submit numbers to the national secretariat to engineer a predetermined outcome. According to her, the incident underscores the need for stronger protections for aspirants regardless of their financial status or political clout.
While grateful for the refund, she stressed that the focus should not be on money alone. “The refund does not fix the fundamental questions about transparency and fairness in the primary process,” she said. She thanked supporters and civil society groups for their vigilance, which she credited for the partial repayment.
Having exited partisan politics, Busari-Akinnadeju is now turning her attention to the Dare Agenda Movement, a citizen-driven initiative aimed at promoting accountable leadership and active participation in nation-building beyond election seasons.