A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has dismissed claims that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would use money to unduly influence the party’s presidential primaries.
Speaking on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, the Ovation Magazine publisher addressed concerns over how the ADC would manage the presidential ambitions of its leading figures ahead of the party’s primary election.
He argued that Atiku does not have access to billions of dollars to bribe delegates neither does he control state resources like some other political actors.
“Asiwaju controls at least Lagos. I don’t know other states he controls personally, and he can do and undo. Wike controls Rivers. But Atiku is a businessman.
“He has been a businessman since he left power in 2007. He does not control any state in Nigeria, So where will he get billions of dollars to spend on bribing delegates?
“That’s why they used strategy to outsmart Wike, and that’s why Wike became inconsolable. Till today, Wike has not recovered because he was so sure that nobody could match him dollar for dollar,” Momodu said.
He insisted that strategy not money secured Atiku’s victory over Nyesom Wike at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary in 2022.
He further clarified that campaign funding should not be equated with bribery saying, “It’s not just about money. When we talk about money, there are logistics. We’re not talking about bribing,” he said.
He cited the 2024 United States presidential election to illustrate that heavy funding does not always translate to victory, noting that Kamala Harris raised more funds than President Donald Trump but still lost.
He explained that campaign funds are largely used for logistics and election security rather than inducement of delegates.
“You need, for example, on the day of the general elections, to ensure you can manage every polling unit. Make sure nobody rewrites your votes or steals them. That’s what we mean by money,” Momodu added.