A former presidential aspirant of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Mrs. Abisayo Busari-Akinnadeju, has confirmed receiving a refund of ₦10.8 million from the party following her resignation and withdrawal from its 2027 presidential race.
Busari-Akinnadeju disclosed the development in a statement issued on Friday, noting that while the party has refunded a significant portion of the nomination fee she paid in April 2026, an outstanding balance of ₦1.2 million is yet to be settled.
According to her, the refund followed her decision to resign from the party on May 28 over what she described as irregularities in the process used to select the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
She alleged that the emergence of a consensus candidate was orchestrated in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and accused the party of using disciplinary measures to remove her from the race after she refused to endorse the consensus arrangement.
Busari-Akinnadeju acknowledged the refund and commended the party for taking steps to address the financial aspect of the dispute. However, she maintained that the repayment does not resolve the broader concerns surrounding the integrity of the nomination process.
According to her, returning the money does not erase what she described as procedural violations and unfair treatment experienced during the primary process.
The former aspirant further alleged that efforts were made to prevent her participation in the screening exercise and claimed that a disciplinary process was subsequently used to remove her as a cleared aspirant.
She also accused party leaders of directing state chairmen not to attend the presidential primary physically, alleging that voting figures were instead transmitted to the national secretariat to facilitate the emergence of a preferred candidate through consensus.
Busari-Akinnadeju argued that the Electoral Act requires the written consent of all cleared aspirants before a consensus candidate can be adopted, questioning the legality of the actions taken against her.
While expressing appreciation to Nigerians who supported her throughout the controversy, she said public attention and advocacy played a significant role in securing the refund.
She stressed that access to a fair and transparent political process should not be reserved for influential individuals but should remain a constitutional right for every Nigerian seeking elective office.
Meanwhile, Busari-Akinnadeju announced that she has adopted a non-partisan approach to national engagement and unveiled a new civic platform known as the “Dare Agenda,” which she said is aimed at promoting purposeful leadership and citizen participation in governance.
According to her, efforts to advance national development should not be postponed until the next election cycle, emphasizing that meaningful change requires immediate action and sustained public involvement.
