Former campaign spokesman and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Yunusa Tanko, has addressed allegations that recent charitable donations from erstwhile presidential candidate Peter Obi overwhelmingly favoured the South-East region.
According to a data and artificial intelligence platform, StatisSense, Obi spent ₦540m on donations between January and July 2025, with the South-East cornering the lion’s share.
The figures showed that Anambra alone received ₦260m, while Enugu followed with ₦120m, making a combined ₦415m for the South-East out of the ₦540m total.
The breakdown indicated Obi’s philanthropy extended to five geopolitical zones, with the South-West excluded.
The donations were as follows: South-East: ₦415m, North-West: ₦60m, North-Central: ₦60m, South-South: ₦35m and North-East: ₦6m.
Major beneficiaries in the South-East included the College of Nursing Sciences, Amichi (₦10m), Paul University Awka (₦30m), IHM Health System, Anambra (₦100m), and Christ the King College, Onitsha (₦50m).
Obi’s philanthropy outside the region covered institutions such as Joseph D. Bagobiri Memorial College, Kafanchan (₦20m), Kubwa Anglican Comprehensive Secondary School & Hospital, Abuja (₦20m), and UNICAL Faculty of Dentistry, Cross River (₦20m).
Reacting to the revelation, during an online debate, Tanko defended Obi, stressing that the donations were personal gestures, not political manoeuvres.
“These donations are personal, and they are on a continuous basis. He has not stopped. So don’t be surprised that eventually the donation may come from the North and supersede that of the South,” he said.
Tanko further challenged Obi’s critics to demand transparency from other political leaders.
He said: “If there’s any other candidate that have done that in his personal capacity, he should bring us his data. They should bring out their donation statistics on their own.”
He also noted that Obi’s interventions cut across regions and were not tied to any campaign.
“These are all personal donations, and we are continuing. We have not stopped. We are asking them to bring their donation that they’ve done, if there’s any,” he added.
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