Prominent activist Aisha Yesufu has launched a public fundraising appeal for Peter Obi’s 2027 presidential campaign, urging Nigerians at home and abroad to contribute whatever they can to support the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate. In a video posted on her X account on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, Yesufu said Obi could not carry the cost of the race on his own and that ordinary citizens should take ownership of the election.
“Peter Obi Cannot Do This Alone”
According to reports by Vanguard, The Sun, PM News and Legit.ng, Yesufu told supporters that the era of a candidate funding a national campaign largely from his own pocket was over. She was quoted as saying, “Let the citizens fund this election,” and called on every supporter to contribute their “widow’s mite”, however small.
Yesufu directed donors to an account displayed in her video. Vanguard, The Sun and Legit.ng reported that she described this fund as separate from the NDC’s own campaign account, and told those who wish to give directly to the party to wait for official account details from the NDC. None of the reports gave a target amount.
Addressing concerns about transparency, Yesufu pledged that she would account for every kobo raised, a promise carried in all four reports.
Lessons From the 2023 Campaign
Yesufu, one of Obi’s most visible allies during the 2023 election, recalled that the former Anambra State governor had been reluctant to rely on public fundraising at the time. According to the reports, she said Obi never wanted supporters to use public fundraising but that she persuaded him to accept it during the last election cycle.
She also said the money raised in 2023 was properly accounted for, and acknowledged that the effort had drawn criticism from some quarters at the time. Obi largely financed his 2023 campaign himself, the outlets noted, an approach Yesufu now argues cannot be repeated for 2027.
Obi’s Road to 2027
Obi, who came third in the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party, is now contesting under the Nigeria Democratic Congress. His campaign has been building momentum in recent weeks, with rallies and visits across several states. Earlier this week, vehicles in his convoy were attacked by hoodlums in Calabar, an incident in which police later announced an arrest.
The 2027 contest is shaping up as a crowded and contentious race. President Bola Tinubu is seeking a second term on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, while former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s bid under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was thrown into uncertainty this week after a Federal High Court in Abuja nullified his nomination, a ruling the party says it will appeal.
Against that backdrop, money is expected to play a major role. Nigerian electoral law sets limits on how much candidates may spend and how much individuals may donate, and campaigns are required to disclose their funding to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Crowdfunding drives such as Yesufu’s are likely to attract scrutiny over how funds are managed and reported.
Reactions and What Comes Next
As of the time of writing, neither Obi nor the NDC had publicly responded to the fundraising appeal, according to the reports reviewed by Flashinfong. The video has nonetheless circulated widely on social media, with supporters of the Obidient movement sharing it and critics questioning the wisdom of citizen-funded politics.
The NDC is expected to release its own official campaign account details in due course. How much Yesufu’s drive raises, and how transparently it is managed, may become an early test of the grassroots enthusiasm that powered Obi’s surprise showing in 2023.
Sources: Vanguard, The Sun, PM News, Legit.ng.
