Media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has challenged the widely held perception that Peter Obi does not spend money in the pursuit of elective office.
Olayinka alleged that Obi gave money to delegates while seeking the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2023 general election.
He made the claim during an appearance on AIT’s Democracy Today programme on Friday, September 4, while responding to a question about whether politics was a business for Wike.
According to Olayinka, politicians should stop pretending that money does not play a role in Nigerian politics, arguing that candidates routinely spend money during consultations, party primaries and election campaigns.
“One of the issues with most of us Nigerians, we like to pretend, politics is business. Don’t let us pretend. It’s a service but you can only serve when you get to power,” he said.
Olayinka, who said he contested a House of Representatives seat in 2023, argued that financial spending was also part of the political process at the primary election stage.
He said politicians in Nigeria and other countries spend money while seeking elective positions and campaigning for votes.
Addressing the perception surrounding Obi, Olayinka said the former Anambra State governor did spend money during his political engagements, although possibly less than some of his rivals.
“For instance, we have read that the candidate of NDC, Peter Obi, does not spend shishi. It’s a lie,” he said.
Olayinka claimed that he personally witnessed Obi distributing money to delegates during his time as a presidential aspirant under the PDP.
“I was a delegate in Ekiti when he was in PDP before going to Labour Party. He came to Ekiti. He dropped money for delegates. From the money he dropped, they gave me my own in 2022,” he claimed.
He, however, acknowledged that the amount allegedly distributed by Obi may have been smaller than what other presidential aspirants offered.
“The money might be smaller than what other people gave, but he gave money,” Olayinka said.
Obi contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party after leaving the PDP, where he had initially sought the party’s presidential ticket.
Ahead of the 2027 general election, Obi has moved to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), according to the report.
