news: GEJ's aides approached us with $3m for votes – CIO

The Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO) has alleged that some aides of former President Goodluck Jonathan approached the body with $3 million so as to canvass for their votes during the presidential election.

According to Leadership, Coordinator of CIO, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib, made this claim during the 22nd National Islamic Training Programme (NITP), holding at Odosengolu, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

He said they rejected the government’s offer tagged: “religious fund”, meant to secure support of Muslims in Nigeria for the ex-president and his party-PDP, during the general elections early this year.

“It is not a secret, they came, offering us over three million dollars, we said no….It came through their proxies to us and we said no. And today we have been vindicated and it is not even part of our own culture to take bribe. We prefer to go hungry than to collect a bribe from somebody, that is unlawful.” He said that some officials of the Jonathan-led administration (whose identities were not disclosed) approached the CIO with money but it rejected “because we know very well that it was a bait; it was a poison and you cannot eat and dine with the devil and think the devil will not come after you.”he said