The Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) has refunded ₦10.8 million to former presidential aspirant Mrs. Abisayo Busari-Akinnadeju following her resignation from the party.
Busari-Akinnadeju confirmed the development in a statement issued on Friday, noting that while the party had returned most of the money she paid for the 2027 presidential nomination form, an outstanding balance of ₦1.2 million is yet to be paid.
She disclosed that she resigned from the party on May 28, citing concerns over the alleged imposition of a consensus candidate through a process she claimed violated provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. According to her, she was also removed as a cleared aspirant through a disciplinary procedure after refusing to support the consensus arrangement.
While expressing appreciation for the refund, Busari-Akinnadeju maintained that the payment does not address the issues surrounding the party’s presidential selection process.
According to her, the refund amounts to an acknowledgment that collecting the fee under the circumstances was unjustifiable, but does not erase the events that occurred before the money was returned.
Naija News recalls that the former aspirant had resigned from the DLA last week and demanded the return of her nomination fee.
Despite receiving the refund, she continued to criticize the conduct of the party’s presidential primary, alleging that efforts were made to prevent her from fully participating in the process. She claimed state party chairmen were instructed not to attend the primary election at the party headquarters and were instead directed to submit figures to the national secretariat to facilitate the emergence of a consensus candidate.
Busari-Akinnadeju argued that the Electoral Act 2026 does not permit a consensus candidacy without the written consent of all cleared aspirants. She also questioned the disciplinary measures taken against her, describing her removal as a strategy to eliminate legal obstacles to the consensus arrangement.
She stressed that her concerns now extend beyond recovering her money, saying the issue is about protecting future aspirants who may not have the influence or platform to challenge similar actions.
The former aspirant thanked Nigerians who supported her campaign for transparency and fairness, stating that public attention played a major role in securing the refund.
She further announced that she has adopted a non-partisan stance and launched a new platform aimed at promoting purposeful leadership and citizen engagement.
According to her, the initiative, known as the Dare Agenda, will focus on encouraging Nigerians to actively demand accountable leadership, insisting that national progress cannot wait until the 2027 elections.