A veteran Journalist-turned-politician Dele Momodu has alleged that a former presidential candidate paid $30,000 to each of the 774 delegates during the last presidential primaries, amounting to a staggering $23.22 million in bribes.
Momodu, a former presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the revelation during an episode of the Key to Keys podcast. The media mogul shared the challenges of running for office in Nigeria, emphasizing the dominance of financial influence in the country’s political landscape.
“There was one of the candidates who paid as high as $30,000 per delegate, and we had 774 delegates. How do you compete with that?” he asked. “They’ve stolen the country blind, doing all kinds of deals, especially in the oil-rich areas. It’s not easy to compete with them, and that’s why they insult Nigerians anyhow because of the amount of raw cash they control.”
Momodu, who contested the 2023 presidential primaries, recounted his personal losses, including spending ₦50 million on the campaign without securing a single vote.
“I spent about ₦50 million buying the form. This could have gotten me a property, and it was a waste. Nobody voted for me – not even one vote – because everything was monetized,” he lamented.
When asked if he would consider running for president again in 2027, Momodu expressed skepticism, stating that only a consensus decision by a major political party could make him reconsider.
“Experience is the best teacher, and I’ve come to realize there are powers you can describe as principalities that control Nigeria. Unless a major political party adopts me through consensus, I wouldn’t consider it. But if I have to use my own money to buy a ₦100 million nomination form, I won’t bother,” he said.
Momodu criticized the monetization of Nigerian politics and the prevalence of untraceable cash among political elites.
“There’s no country in the world where people control raw cash like Nigeria. If today you ask some politicians that they need $500 million to become president, they will find it. So, where will someone like me start from? I’m not bothered,” he remarked.
The allegations have reignited debates about the role of financial inducements in Nigeria’s electoral process, highlighting the systemic challenges faced by individuals without substantial financial backing.
