Media guru and politician, Dele Momodu, has revealed that a former presidential candidate spent $30,000 on each of the 774 delegates during the buildup to the 2023 presidential election.
If the total bribe is calculated, it amounts to $23,220,000 for all the delegates who participated in the primary.
Momodu made this disclosure while discussing the 2023 election and the possibility of running for president in 2027.
Speaking on the Key to Keys podcast, the former presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party shared his experience of spending N50 million during the last election campaign without securing a single vote.
When asked about his plans for the 2027 presidency, Momodu explained that he would only consider running if a major political party adopts him through a consensus, acknowledging the influence of powerful forces in Nigeria’s political landscape.
He noted that unless he was chosen by a political party, he would not attempt another run.
Reflecting on his past presidential bid, he expressed regret over the money spent, revealing that he had spent N50 million just to purchase a nomination form, which ultimately did not result in any votes. He emphasized how the political process had become heavily monetized, with some candidates allegedly offering substantial sums to delegates.
He pointed out that one candidate had spent as much as $30,000 per delegate, creating an uneven playing field for others.
Momodu also criticized the level of corruption in Nigerian politics, suggesting that many politicians from the oil-rich areas have amassed large sums of untraceable wealth. He lamented that these politicians are not only controlling vast amounts of money but also use it to manipulate the political process, making it difficult for others to compete. He highlighted the vast sums of money required to run for office, saying that some politicians could easily find $500 million to fund their campaigns, leaving others, like him, with little chance to compete.
Asked if he would run for the presidency again, Momodu said: “No, experience is the best teacher and I have come to realise that there are powers you can describe as principalities that control Nigeria.
“Unless a major political party decides to adopt me through a consensus that Dele Momodu is best suited to change and lead Nigeria, then I can consider it.
“But if I have to pick my money to go and buy a presidential nomination form of about N100 million and the last one I spent about N50 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.
There was one of the candidates who paid as high as $30,000 per delegate and we had 774 delegates, so how do you compete with them? They have stolen the country blind and doing all kinds of deals to make money, especially those in the oil-rich areas.
“It’s not easy and that’s why you can’t compete with them – that’s why they insult Nigerians anyhow because of the amount of money available to them in raw cash. There is no country in the world where people control raw cash like Nigeria.
“The bulk of their money is not in any bank so they are not traceable. If today you ask some politicians that look you need $500 million to become a President, they will find it. So people like us where will I start from? I’m not bothered.”